I have had this casserole on my list of things to make for quite some time! Im generally not a fan of casseroles or one pot dishes but when they are saucy and have different textures- I am game! Oh and when they are CHEESY- thats always a win!

The great thing about this casserole is that you don’t need to bake it (unless you like that browned topping of cheese) and you can use just about any vegetables you have on hand- even if that means just onions and peppers!! You can also skip the cheese and this meal becomes vegan! Its also great for meal prep because you can just heat it up and eat it throughout the week!

I love Rao’s Arrabbiatta sauce so that’s what I used here and what I believe works best- but use what ever sauce you like!

I use Earthly Choice quinoa and I find that following the directions on the back of the package gives me the FLUFFIEST quinoa EVER. I set the timer to 15 minutes (start to finish) and it is perfection! It can be found at most grocery stores.

Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did!

 

 

 

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Italian Quinoa Casserole

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions (will yield about 2.5 cups cooked quinoa).

2 24 oz. Rao's Arrabbiata Sauce

1 zucchini diced small

1 italian eggplant diced small

1 small onion, sliced

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp chili flakes

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

handful of basil for garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy bottom pot or wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
  2. Once the oil is hot add the sliced onions. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
  3. Add the eggplant, a pinch of salt and continue to cook until eggplant releases water and becomes slightly tender.
  4. Add garlic, chili flakes, oregano and zucchini. Saute until the garlic is fragrant but not brown.
  5. Add one jar of the tomato sauce, stir and turn heat to low and cover pot with a lid. Let cook for 8-10 minutes until zucchini and eggplant become fork tender. (Keep checking and stirring)
  6. Uncover the pot and add in the cooked quinoa. Quinoa will soak up the sauce so add the second bottle of sauce in increments to your liking of sauciness. Top off with shredded mozarella and serve hot with fresh basil as a garnish.