Vegetarian Spaghetti Casserole

Vegetarian Spaghetti Casserole

Bakes: 350 degrees for 40 mins

Yields: 9 servings

Pan size: 13in x 9in

Total time: Prep:  20 mins  Bake: 40 mins

Ingredients

·         6 ounces uncooked spaghetti

·         1 tablespoon butter

·         1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

·         1 jar (26 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce

·         2 cups chopped green pepper

·         1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

·         1 carton (8 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese

·         1 can (8 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

·         1 small onion, chopped

·         3 garlic cloves, minced

·         12 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

·         1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·         3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1.    Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Add butter and Parmesan cheese; toss to coat. In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, green pepper and tomatoes.

2.    In a blender, cover and process the ricotta cheese until pureed. Add to the spaghetti sauce mixture. Stir in the mushrooms, onion, garlic, basil, oregano and 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Add the spaghetti; toss to coat.

3.    Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover; bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 9 servings.

Nutrition facts

1 serving equals:

301 calories

12 g fat (7 g saturated fat)

41 mg cholesterol

774 mg sodium

31 g carbohydrate

4 g fiber                                          

18 g protein

I decided on this dish because pasta is usually a staple in my diet and I want to learn how to keep the noodles and make them a little healthier. I chose a casserole because this allows me to make a lot of food at once and then keep the leftover for the next few meals. This dish is a spin on a comfort food that you can change and tweak to meet your preferences and individual tastes.

Taste: I enjoy savory foods and this is one of the best I’ve had. The combination of the vegetables and the spices brings out a familiar and loved taste and you just can’t go wrong with a marinara and mozzarella dish.

Ease of preparation: This casserole may take a little time to cook but it takes no time to prepare. All of the ingredients are poured together and mixed in a bowl. You add the spaghetti and put the entire concoction into the baking pan. I do not cook very often but making this casserole was so fun and now I have a whole casserole to last me for a lot of meals. This dish also contained may of the ingredients that I already had and is very versatile. You can use any kind of pasta, you can add meat to the sauce if you like, you can put in the veggies you prefer, and you can use many types of cheese. I ran out of the mozzarella to put on top and so I used a reduced fat cheddar. Even with some of the changes I made to it, it was still incredibly delicious.

Carbohydrates: There are carbs in the noodles and if you wanted to go a little healthier you could always use whole wheat noodles instead of regular white noodles. Carbs are the foods that give us energy.

Fats and lipids: In this dish the most fats would come from the cheeses. Fats are necessary to our diet because they help store the energy that fats give us. Fat also gives much needed protection to our organs and other body parts.

Vitamins and minerals: most of the vitamins and minerals come from the veggies that are so abundant in this dish. The green peppers are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A helps strengthen and defend your immune system, while vitamin C helps the body produce connective tissue between bones and other body parts. Onions also have vitamin C and are high in dietary fiber. The cheese in this dish contributes most of the minerals like Calcium and more trace minerals such as zinc and magnesium. Calcium helps our blood clot, nerves send messages and muscles contract. 

Protein: there isn’t a whole lot of protein in this dish but most of it comes from the cheese, mushrooms, and onions. I decided not to include the mushrooms when I cooked the dish so I could make the meal more complete by adding a side dish of beans or adding meat to the sauce. 

Negative points: The refined pasta does not offer much in the way of nutrients but as stated above, you can always use whole wheat pasta. the cheese is theother potentially dangerous part of this meal. what i mean by this is that it is very tempting to simply add exorbitant amounts of cheese to this recipe. it is also easier to use the cheese you already have. the simplest fix to this problem is to try to start buying the fat reduced or part-skim products.

The best negative aspect of this recipe is that it is so delicious that your friends and family will eat every bite before you get a chance.

 This dish does have a lot of the nutrients that you need. I also decided to pair this meal with a side of broccoli and cauliflower. They added a few more vitamins.d All in all, this dish was delicious, easy to make, and has many easy ways to alter it for personal preference.