individual vegetarian baked pasta bowls

So I went back to the Italian theme this week.

I really enjoyed the pasta that I made two weeks ago – and was able to repurpose it in many different ways so I thought it would be a good dish to share with you all.

These little guys are great too because you can prep as many or as little as you want beforehand.  You can also throw all the ingredients into one large oven-safe dish if you’re cooking for a whole family!

Not to mention the fact that you get whole grains, protein, vegetables and dairy all in one little bowl.  It’s amazing fresh out of the oven but also as a heat-and-eat option – kind of like your own little frozen dinner meal, except it’s homemade which means less fat, sodium and no preservatives.

Hopefully I’ve sold you on these being a good idea.

{individual vegetarian baked pasta bowls}

makes: 2-4 individual bowls

ingredients:

• Whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package and drained instructions (I made about half the bag for my two bowls so adjust accordingly for your needs)
• 1 jar of spicy arrabiata sauce
• 6 oz. beefless ground beef (I used Trader Joe’s brand but any vegetarian crumbles would work…or if you prefer, lean ground turkey, beef or even chicken would work wonderfully in these too)
• 1 green zucchini, sliced then quartered
• 3 tri-color peppers de-seeded and chopped
• Reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• Oregano to taste
• Canola oil spray

directions:

1. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking oil
2. Add chopped vegetables to a non-stick pan over medium heat and allow to simmer until just soft
3. Meanwhile, make pasta according to package instructions, drain and set aside
4. Once vegetables are soft, add beefless ground beef crumbles (or ground meat that has been cooked in a separate pain).  Mix well to combine so that all ingredients are heated through thoroughly.
5. After about 3-5 minutes, add the jar of arrabiata sauce to the pan, stirring occasionally until the sauce just begins to bubble (about 5 minutes)
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
7. Add about 1 cup of whole wheat pasta to an oven-safe dish, top with sauce mixture and a handful of mozzarella and place in oven.  Bake until the cheese just begins to bubble on top.
8. Top with oregano to taste and serve.

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