Thank you Jess from Ica Jell Eats for this wonderful recipe. I can’t wait to make it when I get back from Haiti! Be sure to check out her blog!

I have always loved Fall. It’s the meeting of most of my favorite things: warm days with cool nights, baseball and football, local breweries and their Oktoberfest brews and most importantly; fresh produce and hearty meals.

While perusing the Farmer’s Market last weekend, I saw the late harvests of eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onions. Immediately, this had me thinking about dinner. Well, most things get me thinking about dinner I suppose, but with this one, I think I was onto something delicious.

I got home and started ransacking the fridge and pantry; I found a batch of homemade marinara in the freezer and a box of rigatoni keeping the shelf from getting dirty. Hey, wait! Didn’t I see some goat cheese somewhere? Yes, yes I did.

Something you need to know about me: I love cookware. I love it so much I own over 40 individual ramekins of various sizes. I knew I had to put whatever this was going to be into some of those ramekins.

I started the pasta boiling. I chunked up the veggies. And then I thought….Roast them. So they went into the oven with a little olive oil. By now, my house was smelling all kinds of awesome. I warmed the sauce, added the pasta and veggies, and divided it between six of my previously mentioned ramekins. Then I topped it with some grated parmesan cheese and tossedit into the oven.

And that was when I realized I had forgotten the goat cheese. Oh well, no harm, no foul.

What came out of the oven was perfect! Piping hot pasta with a crisp cheese topping and those slightly over cooked pasta edges that everyone loves! Hey, where did that goat cheese go? A few dollops on top and the heat from the pasta melted it just enough to give everything a creamy finish.

As I put down my fork, and finished my glass of Malbec (which goes perfectly with this dinner, by the way), I thought to myself, “Fall really is the greatest time of year.”

I’ve included the recipe below; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables - 6 servings

• 1 pound rigaoni
• 1 eggplant, peeled & diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups marinara sauce (homemade is best, but store-bought will do)
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 3 oz. goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Place vegetables on large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until softened and slightly charred, about 45-60 minutes.
3. Cook pasta according to manufacturer’s directions. Heat marinara to a simmer.
4. In large bowl or saucepan, combine roasted vegetables and pasta. Add sauce and stir to combine.
5. Spray 6 individual serving dishes or a 9×11 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place pasta mixture in baking pans and top with parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly.
7. Crumble goat cheese over top of dish. Allow pasta to rest at least 10 minutes before serving.

*Looking for a lower carb alternative? Roast 1 pound of chicken breast, top with the veggies, sauce and cheese, bake at 400° for 30 minutes and you’ll have a delicious Catticatore-style dinner in no time!

Please don’t tell me I’m the only one who gets sucked into the frozen aisle at Whole Foods. I literally scour those aisles every time I’m there. Well, I guess I do that to all of the aisles. (Don’t want to miss any new products!)

I’ve seen Blake’s products for years at food shows and in the freezer, but since I don’t purchase a lot of frozen meals, I had never tried them. But I knew there would be a time when I needed a delicious dinner that didn’t require much from me. And that is the beauty of frozen foods, right? You may not know when you are going to need them, but if you need them is never a question.

Fan of:

• the crunchy topping
• the creamy cheese sauce
• the organic chicken (and a decent amount of it)
• decent nutritional stats (mac & cheese doesn’t exactly get a good rap, but this size keeps the calories and fat in check!)

Wished:

• there was more broccoli (hey, I’m a Nutritionist!)
• there was a bit more flavor, but it was perfect with some sriracha (and probably very kid friendly)
• the portion was a little bigger, but when paired with a side of veggies it was actually pretty satisfying

Will I buy it again? You know I’m a sucker for family businesses, cute packaging and a convenient meal, so yes!  I also think that a certain someone will love the Shepard’s Pie so that’s next on the list.