This is a no-boil quinoa bake that features pesto (storebought or homemade), sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh cherry tomatoes. It's great for meal prep or fuss-free weeknight dinners.
8 and ½ouncessun-dried tomatoes packed in oildrained and roughly chopped
8ouncescherry tomatoessliced in half
6ouncespestostore bought or homemade
½teaspoon red pepper flakesoptional
½teaspoongarlic powder
½teaspoononion powder
½teaspoonsalt
⅛teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperplus more for topping
3cupsspinach leavesleaves torn into bite-sized pieces
1cupshredded mozzarella
1smalllemonsliced into wedges for serving
1teaspoonfresh lemon zestabout 1 small lemon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil an 8x8 or similarly sized casserole dish (I like to use some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to do this). In a small sauce pot, heat vegetable broth to a rapid simmer over medium high heat.
To the casserole dish, add the quinoa, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, pesto, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and heated vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, a lid, or an upside-down baking sheet. Bake at 375F on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes, or until the quinoa is mostly cooked through. The casserole may be a little liquidy at this point, that's okay.
Stir in the spinach leaves. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven to bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden and the quinoa is completely cooked.
Let cool 5 minutes before scooping and serving. Serve with lemon wedges, lemon zest, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Sun-dried tomatoes: While the oil the sun-dried tomatoes are jarred in isn't used in this recipe, I like to save it as a base for vinaigrettes.
Pesto: In the summer I stick to homemade pesto, otherwise I usually use Barilla pesto (it has a good flavor for its price).
Leftovers are best within 3-4 days. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Reheat individual servings in the microwave. Reheat the entire casserole in the oven at 325 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. Cover with foil if the casserole starts to dry out or the cheese starts to brown too much.