Roasted Veggie and Smoked Gouda Pasta

Today I am coming at you with another awesome vegetarian meal. We are on week two of having meatless Mondays and I am loving it. The hubs? Not so much. I really liked this pasta—it was filled with all my favorite veggies and loaded with smoked Gouda. Plus you can make it ahead of time and just pop it in your oven. It makes a huge dish, so you could easily split this in two and take half to a friend. You could make this with any veggies you have on hand but I like the combo of the veggies below. Load up on the cheese and enjoy!

|| R O A S T E D  V E G G I E  A N D   S M O K E D  G O U D A  P A S T A ||

adapted from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients:

1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 pound brussel sprouts, stems removed and sliced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pound pasta shells, cooked (I used shells but any pasta would work)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, freshly grated (one round of smoked Gouda)
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2-1 cup heavy cream 
Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for topping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the chopped peppers, sweet potato, broccoli, onion, brussels, mushrooms and garlic cloves on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle the veggies with the olive oil and honey. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and then give them a thorough toss. Roast the veggies for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing them once halfway through. I cook the pasta while the veggies are roasting. Drain pasta and then toss with heavy cream and 1/2 smoked Gouda and Parmesan cheese.  Mix together. 

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Add the pasta and half of the veggies, then spoon half of the diced tomatoes over top. Add half of the grated cheese, then layer again with the remaining pasta, veggies, diced tomatoes and cheese. Finish the top off with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs. Bake the pasta for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly on top. Serve with extra cheese for grating on top.

This stays great in the fridge for 4 to 5 days—it's an awesome make-ahead meal.