Italian-American · main

Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Pasta Bake

Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Pasta Bake reads umami 6.1, sweetness 5.3 and salinity 4.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 57 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.1 · Sweetness 5.3 · Salinity 4.6 · Richness 4.6 · Allium 3.6 · Fruity 2.8 · Nutty 2.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Sourness 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.6 · Bitterness 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Earthy 1.3 · Citrus 0.9 · Heat 0.8 · Floral 0.6

What's in it (15)

• rigatoni pasta — 340 g
• zucchini — 200 g
• red bell pepper — 100 g
• red onion — 110 g
• grape tomatoes — 473 g
• olive oil — 68 g
• salt — 7 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• garlic — 12 g
• italian seasoning mix — 1 g
• white cannellini beans
• vegetable broth — 237 g
• shredded mozzarella — 227 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g
• bread crumbs italian style — 118 g

Time & effort: about 57 min (52 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 155.2 kcal, 6.9 g protein, 3.6 g fat, 23.3 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Toss the zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and cherry tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer. Roast until tender and lightly charred at the edges, 22-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through; set aside.
2. While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of package directions for al dente, about 9 minutes. Before draining, scoop out and reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
3. Also while the vegetables roast, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, 45 seconds.
4. Add the cannellini beans and vegetable broth to the skillet. Simmer, mashing about a third of the beans against the side of the pan with a spoon, until the liquid thickens slightly and turns creamy, 4-5 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the drained pasta, the roasted vegetables and any collected juices, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir until everything is well coated and glossy, adding more pasta water a splash at a time if it looks dry, about 1 minute.
6. Sprinkle the mozzarella and half the Parmesan evenly over the pasta in the skillet (transfer everything to a 9x13-inch baking dish first if your skillet isn't oven-safe or large enough).
7. In a small bowl, toss the panko breadcrumbs with the remaining Parmesan; scatter evenly over the cheese.
8. Bake at 425 F until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the breadcrumbs are deep golden brown, 12-15 minutes.
9. Let the bake rest 5 minutes before serving so the sauce can set.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Turkey Meatballs in Marinara over Spaghetti Squash — Italian-American
• Butternut Squash Soup With Seared Radicchio — Other
• Rocoto Relleno — Peruvian
• Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie with Lentils — British
• Greek Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Beef and Rice — Greek

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.