Pasta Baked With Olives Vegetables And Mozzarella Recipes

BAKED ZITI WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• To roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
• Place the cauliflower florets on one pan. On the other pan, combine the bell peppers and onion. Drizzle half of the olive oil over one pan, and the other half over the other pan. Sprinkle the salt over the two pans. Gently toss until the vegetables on each pan are lightly coated in oil.
• Arrange the vegetables in an even layer across each pan. Bake until the vegetables are tender and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the veggies and swapping their rack positions halfway (lower rack to upper rack, and vice versa). Leave the oven on at 425, because we're going to bake the dish at the same temperature. If you end up with any stray burnt onion pieces, discard them, and set the vegetables aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions (it will continue to cook while it bakes in the oven, so you want the pasta to still have a little bite to it). Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
• Add 2 cups of the marinara, the chopped basil, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella to the pasta. Gently stir to combine.
• It's assembly time! Spread 1 cup of additional marinara sauce inside a 9×13″ baker. Top with half of the pasta mixture, and gently spread it into an even layer. Evenly sprinkle the roasted cauliflower on top, then dollop 1 cup of the cottage cheese over the cauliflower (it doesn't need to be spread into an even layer), followed by 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
• Top the mozzarella with the remaining pasta. Then sprinkle the roasted peppers and onion on top, dollop the remaining cup of ricotta on top, then dollop the remaining cup of marinara on that, then sprinkle the remaining cheese all over.
• Place a clean, rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drippings. Place the ziti, uncovered, on top of the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to the upper rack for 2 to 5 more minutes until the cheese is deeply golden, if desired.
• Remove the baker from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving (trust me). Sprinkle freshly torn basil on top, slice with a sharp knife, and serve.

BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.
• In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
• Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD SPICY OLIVE PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook spaghetti according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender, 6-8 minutes, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in pasta sauce, olives, capers, anchovies, pepper flakes and seasoned salt; set aside., In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat., Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet., Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through, 20-25 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with basil, olives and capers.

PASTA BAKED WITH OLIVES, VEGETABLES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly grease a shallow baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the zucchini and cook over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini begin to brown; season with salt and peper.
• Set aside to cool.
• Cook the pasta al dente.
• Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, then toss with the zucchini.
• Add the olives, tomatoes and half the cheeses to the pasta.
• Toss well and pour into the baking dish.
• Spread the remaining mozzarella on top, reserving the rest of the parmesan for garnish.
• Bake the pasta until the cheese is melted and the pasta is heated through (about 15-20 minutes).
• Serve with the remaining cheese.

PASTA SPIRALS WITH SAUTEED VEGETABLES, OLIVES AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add carrots and broccoli and saute 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper and stir to coat. Add broth, tomatoes, snow peas, and mushrooms and bring to a simmer. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss to combine. Top with olives and smoked mozzarella cheese just before serving.
• Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Stir in thyme and cook 1 minute to heat through. Season with salt and black pepper.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH RED PEPPERS AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add roasted red peppers and salt; season with black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is jammy, 8-10 minutes. Add olives, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, and their liquid and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
• While sauce is cooking, place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (about 2 minute less than package directions; pasta will continue to cook in the oven). Drain pasta, reserving ⅓ cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Reduce heat to medium and stir in butter, oregano, and half of Parmesan. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and glossy and coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in half of mozzarella.
• Transfer pasta to a 13x9" baking dish and spread into an even layer. Scatter remaining Parmesan and mozzarella over. Bake until bubbling around the edges, 15-20 minutes.
• Heat broiler. Broil pasta until top is brown and crisp in spots, about 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then top with basil for serving.

PASTA SALAD WITH OLIVES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Bring 1 gallon salted water to a rolling boil in a large stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and pasta, and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, shaking vigorously, and immediately transfer to an oiled cookie sheet or clean countertop to cool. When cool, transfer to a bowl, and toss with 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.
• Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Toss with pasta, adjust seasonings, and serve.

PASTA WITH FRESH VEGETABLES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil for the pasta. In a serving mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, scallions and mozzarella and set aside. Add fresh pasta to water and cook quickly just until al dente; drain and place in serving bowl. In a medium size skillet melt butter with olive oil. Add watercress and arugula and saute for a couple of minutes just to wilt. Add yellow bell pepper and saute a minute just to begin cooking and remove from heat. Add arugula mixture and toss the ingredient together with salt and pepper red flakes. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle fresh radish and cucumbers on top.

TOMATO & MOZZARELLA SPAGHETTI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in large pan, add the garlic and fry for 1 min. Add the tomatoes, chilli and seasoning, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti, then drain. Mix the spaghetti with the tomato sauce and basil, then spoon half into a large ovenproof dish. Arrange half the mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Repeat the layers, then bake for 15-20 mins until lightly browned on top. Scatter with extra basil and serve with a big green salad.

OLIVE AND MOZZARELLA ORZO

Steps:

• In a kettle of boiling salted water boil the orzo until it is al dente, drain it well, and transfer it to a large bowl. In a large heavy skillet cook the onion in the oil and the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the celery, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, cook the mixture, stirring, for 3 minutes, and stir in the broth, the tomatoes, chopping them with a spoon, the basil, and the cayenne. Simmer the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes, stir it into the orzo with the olives, 1/2 pound of the mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch dice, and salt to taste, and transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Cut the remaining 1/4 pound mozzarella into thin strips and arrange it decoratively on top of the orzo. The orzo may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Bake the orzo in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 30 minutes, or until it is heated through and slightly crisp on top.