This roasted veggie and bacon pasta bake is sponsored by Heinz and their new range of pasta sauces, but all thoughts and opinions including recipe ideas and meal suggestions are my own.

Weeknight meals don’t have to be tricky- this roasted veggie and bacon pasta bake is easy to make and can be split into stages so you don’t have to do it all at once (which means it can be finished up until the final bake and then quickly finish it off in the oven at dinner time!

The flavours of the veggies get so sweet and delicious when roasted.  You don’t even have to add any oil to them for roasting as the bacon fat drips through the veggies and keeps them moist whilst imparting lots of flavour.

We’ve used the Heinz Tomato and Garlic Bolognese Pasta sauce in this bake and it really makes the dish.  It’s the perfect way to make this dinner taste amazing.  The sauce also helps to make this a doable weeknight meal, and we all know that weeknights are super busy, with kids activities going on.

My kids love all these veggies, but feel free to swap some that they don’t like, making sure the ratios stay the same. Make sure when you are chopping the veggies that they are all about the same size as the pasta you are using, that helps to make it all work well as a dish.

The panko crumbs, cheese and herbs on top ensure that there are lots of crunchy bits- and personally I think that who-ever cooked the meal gets first dibs on those! I may have stolen one or two whilst dishing up.

The best way to serve this: pop it in dish that goes oven to table and serve it from the centre of the table! Then everyone can reach over and help themselves to a portion that they want…(and grab seconds or thirds).

We’ve been having lots of fun with the new Heinz range of pasta sauces, and also made this yummy cheesy chicken and broccoli lasagne…it’s a perfect way to have a creamy lasagne mid-week. You should also check out our super easy one pan special veal parmigiana.

So what are you waiting for?  Get this on the table tonight!

Yield: 6 serves

Roasted veggie and bacon pasta bake

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roasted veggie and bacon pasta bake, perfect for weeknight meals and packed full of veggies.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Bake Time 40 minutes

Bake with topping 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

Pasta

• 1 zucchini, sliced and halved
• 1 red onion, chopped into 8ths.
• 1 yellow capsicum, diced
• 200 grams cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 rashers bacon, cut into 2cm dice
• 1 500 gram packet penne pasta
• 1 jar Heinz® Tomato & Garlic Bolognese Pasta Sauce
• ½ cup grated mozzarella

Topping

• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• ½ cup chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Place on the veggies on a baking tray and top with the bacon.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Remove, stir and bake for 20 minutes more.
5. Cook the pasta as per the pack instructions.
6. Combine the sauce, pasta, veggies and mozzarella in a large ovenproof dish.
7. Mix the panko, mozzarella and parsley together and cover the top of the pasta with it.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. Or until golden.