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If you love my minestrone soup even a little, you have to try this minestrone casserole. It takes the cozy, veggie packed soup you already love and turns it into a hearty, cheesy pasta bake. It feels like weeknight dinner perfection.
Why You’ll Be Obsessed!
- It feels familiar: All the cozy flavors of minestrone soup, just baked into a warm, cheesy pasta dish.
- Easy to Make: You use simple ingredients and get dinner on the table without extra steps.
- Meal Prep Hack: Make one for dinner now and freeze a second one for a night when cooking just isn’t happening.
Ingredients For Minestrone Casserole
- Onions: White or yellow are classic, but shallots or red onions work if you want a milder flavor.
- Extra veggies: Try mushrooms, bell peppers, or a handful of spinach or kale.
- Bean swaps: Cannellini, navy, pinto, or garbanzo beans all work. Drain and rinse.
- Add protein: Brown and crumble 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage before adding veggies.
- Pasta shape: Any short pasta can replace the small shells.
- Green beans: Frozen or canned and drained, work just fine if you do not have fresh.
How to Make Minestrone Casserole
- Prep & Boil: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. If you like firmer pasta, cook it a few minutes less, since it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Sauté: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, then cook until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Add: Stir in the garlic and zucchini and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Combine: Add the green beans, beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir well, and remove from the heat.
- Stir: Fold in the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese, then transfer everything to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake: Top with mozzarella cheese and cover with foil. Bake until heated through, then uncover and continue baking until the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly. Remove baked minestrone casserole from the oven, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve warm.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Perfect Pasta: I like to cook the pasta a few minutes less than the package says. It finishes cooking in the oven and stays perfectly firm instead of soft.
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Minestrone Casserole
This hearty minestrone casserole turns the classic soup into a comforting, cheesy pasta bake.
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 3 cups small shell pasta or other short pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion about half a large onion
- ½ cup diced carrots about 1 medium carrot
- ½ cup diced celery about 1 large stalk
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves
- 1 ½-2 cups sliced zucchini about 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 1 cup chopped fresh green beans 1-inch pieces
- 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes not drained
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- chopped fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat, and add 3 cups small shell pasta. Cook as directed on the package for al dente, then drain and set aside. If you prefer more bite to your pasta, I recommend cooking it a few minutes less than called for, since it will continue to cook in the oven.
- Heat a large 14-inch skillet over medium-high heat, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 cup diced onion, ½ cup diced carrots, and ½ cup diced celery to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 ½-2 cups sliced zucchini, then cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chopped fresh green beans, 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved pasta and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted, browned, and bubbling.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
Storing Leftovers & Make Ahead Instructions (24 HR or Freezer Meal)
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through to 165°F.
- Make Ahead or Freezer Meal Instructions: Assemble through step 7 and let cool completely. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze up to 3 months. Bake as directed, adding about 15 minutes if refrigerated, or 25–30 minutes if frozen, then uncover and bake until bubbly and the center reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
Calories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 22gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 1224mgPotassium: 826mgFiber: 9gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2036IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 297mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
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