Cheesy Rotini Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Twisted rotini pasta noodles tangled with three melted cheeses, rich marinara, and perfectly roasted vegetables. An easy & healthy pasta dish the whole family will love!

If you love indulging in a cheesy pasta dish without feeling weighed down by heavy creams, you will love every bite of this meal. So much flavor and nutritious ingredients are tangled in these twisted rotini noodles!

The noodles are mixed with a sauce of three different kinds of cheese, rich marinara, and a touch of fresh herbs for freshness! Paired on the side are perfectly roasted vegetables that can be customized to whatever you have on hand.

You can also use regular noodles or make the dish healthier and gluten-free friendly by using chickpea pasta noodles! So so yummy and nutritious.

About Rotini Noodles

Rotini means “twists”, which explains these corkscrew-shaped noodles quite well!

These fun twisty noodles are my top choice to use in dishes that have lots of sauce or cheese. Because the twists of the noodles hold onto the sauce rather than sliding off the edges if it were a smoothly shaped pasta noodle.

Another noodle that is similar in shape and can be a great substitute for rotini is fusilli pasta.

Ingredients You Need

You’ll need just a handful of pantry items and fresh produce to make this recipe. Here’s what you need: rotini noodles, marinara sauce, cheddar cheese (white or yellow), mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, fresh oregano, zucchini (yellow and green), eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli.

How to Make Rotini Pasta with Roasted Vegetables – Step by Step

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss chopped vegetables in oil with salt and minced garlic. Roast for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as the box instructs. Drain pasta and reserve 1 cup of pasta water in a small pot or liquid measuring cup (make sure to use a vessel that can handle hot liquids).

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Add half of the pasta water back in with pasta, add mozzarella, cheddar cheese, marinara, and fresh herbs. Mix together – the consistency should be a creamy/cheesy sauce. Adjust pasta water or add more cheese if needed.

Season with salt & pepper if needed, then serve pasta with roasted vegetables and fresh parmesan cheese over top.

How to Make Pasta Noodles Taste Amazing

Salt the Pasta Water: This is key for great-tasting pasta. Using a generous amount of salt in your pasta water will instantly draw out flavor from the noodles.

Cheese that melts: For this recipe, I recommend three different cheese variations – white or yellow cheddar cheese, a little mozzarella, and freshly grated parmesan for flavor!

Herbs: Seasoning your pasta with fresh herbs is an easy way to elevate the flavor. Add generous amounts of chopped basil and even fresh oregano if you have it on hand.

Quality marinara: whenever serving pasta it’s important to have a flavorful red sauce to go with it! I don’t recommend canned tomatoes because they will be quite bland and fall flat in flavor. We love using either homemade San Marzano Tomato Sauce or our favorite store-bought pasta sauce.

Extra Tips for Success

• Make it gluten-free: If you’d like to lighten up your pasta dish, I love using chickpea or lentil pasta noodles. They are not only gluten-free and made completely from veggies, but are also an excellent source of plant-based protein.
• Different veggies to use: Adjust the vegetables to your liking. Add extra veggies such as mushrooms, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and red peppers.
• Storing leftover tips: Keep leftover pasta stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days – reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop with a little bit of oil.

Other Delicious Pasta Recipes To Enjoy

• Easy Zucchini Lasagna
• Baked Ziti
• The Best Vegetable Lasagna (without ricotta)
• Roasted Eggplant Pasta