roasted brussel sprouts and caramelized onions combine with four different kinds of cheese to bring a burst of flavor to this easy, wholesome pasta bake!
I was at Trader Joe’s a couple weeks ago and browsing through their ravioli section (one of my favorites!) when I spotted a new one I hadn’t seen before: brussel sprout & caramelized onion!
I (of course) immediately bought it, went home and made it and fell head over heels in love at the first bite! It was creamy, cheesy and had a true brussel sprout & caramelized onion flavor. It was everything you would want in a ravioli and more.
The other day I was seriously craving some but didn’t have time to run out to Trader Joe’s to get it. As luck would have it, I happened to have a similar bunch of ingredients on hand, so I decided to re-create the dish on my own at home!
Rather than taking on the task of making my own homemade ravioli, I decided I would bring the flavors to a cheesy pasta bake – the next best thing!
I immediately starting pulling out what I had – brussel sprouts, onions, garlic, FOUR different kinds of cheese, olive oil & whole wheat pasta. With everything out in front of me, I was feeling pretty good about how the dish would come together.
I roasted the brussel sprouts, caramelized the onions, cooked the pasta, then tossed it all together with the cheeses before dumping it all into a casserole dish, topping with a little more cheese and popping it in the oven.
All together it took maybe 30 minutes to make and it had every bit of flavor that the ravioli did (maybe even, dare I say it, a little more!)
Packed with whole grains, veggies and protein from dairy, there’s not much this dish is missing! If you have serious meat eaters in the family, throw a little shredded chicken in or on the side!
roasted brussel sprout & caramelized onion whole wheat pasta bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta (such as penne)
- 16 oz whole fresh brussel sprouts (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 medium onion (or 2 small), diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
- 2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2/3 cup finely shredded fontina cheese
- 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease a large casserole dish.
- Halve brussel sprouts then toss with minced garlic, salt, pepper and a hefty drizzle of olive oil then place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Keep oven on once removing brussel sprouts as you’ll use it in the last step.
- While brussel sprouts roast, cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Once pasta is cooking, place a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat and add another hefty drizzle of olive oil. Add onions and sauté until they are a nice golden brown color (about 10 minutes). Once cooked to golden brown, remove from heat & set aside.
- Mix together shredded mozzarella, fontina & parmesan cheeses and set aside.
- Drain pasta, place back into the pot and drizzle with olive oil. Add in roasted brussel sprouts and caramelized onions. Fold in ricotta with a rubber spatula making sure everything is coated with the ricotta. Add most of the cheese mixture (reserving a handful or two for the topping) and toss to combine.
- Pour entire mixture into the prepared casserole dish, top with remaining cheese and pop back into the oven until cheese melts (about 5-10 minutes depending on your oven).
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