Minestrone Casserole

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

4 cups dried mafalda (mini lasagna) noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots, sliced (1 cup)

2 stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)

1 onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup frozen cut green beans

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Chopped fresh basil and/or oregano

Directions

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly coat a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, covered, for the minimum time according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are just tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute more.

Add carrot mixture, beans, tomatoes, green beans, tomato sauce, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the bowl of pasta. Stir well to combine. Transfer pasta mixture to the prepared dish and cover with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and top with mozzarella cheese; continue baking until heated through and cheese is melted,10 to 15 minutes. Top each serving with remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Nutrition

• Calories: 356 kcal
• Total Fat: 9 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 33 mg
• Sodium: 859 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 53 g
• Dietary Fiber: 10 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 19 g