This wholesome, one dish meal is gluten-free, nutritious, and tasty, thanks to veggies like zucchini, peppers, and spinach. It’s seasoned with robust flavors from Tuscan herbs and spices and topped with parmesan cheese for an extra touch.

I was given the opportunity to try a new brand of brown rice penne pasta – so I decided to add a boat load of veggies and some chicken to create this one dish meal. This recipe has a nice mix of carbs, protein, and healthy fats, which will leave you full and satisfied.

I was pleasantly surprised with how the pasta turned out once I cooked it then baked it. And, honestly, it was better the next day. Isn’t it funny how pasta does that? Silly.

Yields 8 servings

1 serving is about 1½ cups pasta

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, cut into small cubes
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into small strips
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and cut into small strips
• ¼ cup Tuscan herb olive oil
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning (see note)
• 2 (6 oz.) packages of ready-to-eat artichoke hearts
• 4 cups chopped spinach
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. brown rice penne pasta
• 1 (28.2 oz.) canned no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (see note)
• 1½ cup grated Parmesan, divided

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Toss together the zucchini, onion, and peppers with the olive oil and Italian seasoning. Place this mixture on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 16 minutes.
3. Cook your pasta in a large pot for about 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.
4. When your vegetables are done roasting, gently combine the pasta with the roasted veggies, artichoke hearts, spinach, salt, pepper, canned tomatoes, chicken, and 1 cup of parmesan cheese.
5. Spoon the pasta in a 9×13” baking dish. Top with the remaining ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes, or until top is golden brown and cheese has melted.

Notes

• When buying an Italian season blend, make sure there are no added salts. I like this organic one.
• I cooked the chicken in a crockpot the day before. Place 1 pound of chicken breast in a crockpot with ¼ cup water or chicken broth. Cook on high for 4 hours then shred the chicken.