Another freezable dish for post-baby!!  And a super delicious one to boot… This meal takes quite a bit of prep, so I’ve only made it a couple times — but it’s always been a big hit.  And feel free to play with the mix of veggies, herbs and cheeses to suit your style.  This is one of those recipes that you almost can’t mess up as long as you like the ingredients themselves.

Ingredients

1/2 box pasta (ziti or penne work best)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for sauteeing)

kosher salt

2 zucchini or squash, halved lengthwise (I used 3 because mine were smaller)

2 eggplant, halved lengthwise (I used 4 ivory eggplant from my garden, which are considerably smaller than the purple you typically find in the grocery store)

1 large onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian herbs

4 plum tomatoes, chopped (I used roma because that’s what I had)

1 cup pasta sauce (mine came from a jar, but clearly homemade would work as well)

3-oz feta (optional)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

Let’s Get Cooking…

1.  Cook pasta according to directions on the package.  Drain and set aside.  Since we’re baking the pasta, I recommend cooking for a minute or two shy of the package directions.  And if you’re planning to freeze for later (like me!), then you’ll definitely want to under cook the pasta a bit.

2.  Lay out veggies on a baking sheet.  Whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil; brush liberally on all the veggies (you should use about half of the mixture).  Sprinkle with kosher salt.

3.  Broil until tender, 5-8 minutes.   Flip, brush with remaining oil/vinegar, then broil the other side (5-8 minutes).

4.   Chop the veggies (unless you have hands of steel, wait until they’ve cooled off a bit).

5.  Saute garlic in olive oil for a couple minutes (basically, until you can smell it).  Add herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes and pasta sauce.

6.  Toss pasta, veggies, pasta sauce mixture and feta (if using).  Transfer into a baking dish and top with mozz.

7.  Cover with foil, bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes.