One-Pan Spring Tuscan Quinoa Bake.

When spring veggies hit the market, this is the one-pan bake I crave—Tuscan herbs, tomatoes, and greens tucked into fluffy quinoa. It’s colorful, hands-off, and perfect for busy weeknights or Sunday meal prep. The quinoa cooks up tender and soaks in all that herby, garlicky goodness.

Ingredient Notes

• Quinoa: Rinse in cool water to remove bitterness. For extra flavor, briefly toast in the pan until nutty before adding liquid.
• Low-sodium broth keeps flavors bright; adjust salt at the end, especially if add-ins are salty.
• Tomatoes + spring veg: Cherry tomatoes, zucchini/asparagus/spinach—cut uniformly so they cook evenly.
• Tuscan flavor makers: Garlic, oregano/thyme/basil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, maybe a spoon of pesto.
• Creamy/savory finish (if in recipe): A little cheese (Parmesan/mozz) or a swirl of pesto at the end to gloss.
• Citrus: Lemon zest wakes everything up; add juice at the end to keep flavors fresh

Recipe inspiration

Aside from this being insanely easy to make on any given night of the week, this recipe is also insanely delicious. I basically took the idea of my dad’s Friday night pasta and swapped the pasta for quinoa and added some sun-dried tomato pesto + roasted artichokes. The Colorado weather is calling for cheesy, comfort food. BUT this dish is full of all things healthy, so it really is healthy comfort food. It’s such a good combo of ingredients and definitely one of my favorite dishes.

Why You’ll love this recipe

• Such an easy recipe. You literally dirty just one dish and one spoon/fork or whatever you decide to use. You may have to dirty two if you don’t have any leftover quinoa in the fridge, but lately I have been cooking up big batches of quinoa on Sunday so I have easy sides for dinners, or as a way to hearty up salads and such for the week.
• So colorful. I just love, love, love the pretty vibrant colors (and flavors) going on here.
• A foolproof recipe, a ten minute prep time and 40 minutes in the oven…which clearly means that the 40 minutes in the oven gives you 40 minutes for a beer (wine, margarita, whatever you drink), talk time with a friend or significant other, or just time to read a trashy magazine and relax…. OK, fine that only happens in a perfect word, but maybe you can drink the wine while vacuuming? Life.
• You can adapt this recipe and make it vegan. Just leave out the cheeses all together or swap in some vegan cheese. I can’t say it will be just as good because I love cheese, but it will still be completely awesome. You could even make it into a quinoa salad and just skip baking this all together, toss everything in a bowl and eat warm or cold. Perfect for on the go lunches!!

Variations & Add-Ins

• Protein: White beans or chickpeas for vegetarian heft; shredded rotisserie chicken or chicken sausage if you eat meat.
• Veg swap: Artichokes, roasted red peppers, or peas fit the Tuscan vibe; keep total veg volume similar.
• Dairy-free: Skip cheese; finish with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs for richness.
• Heat lovers: Chili flakes or Calabrian chili paste for a gentle kick.

Step by Step

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 

2. Add olive oil, sun-dried tomato pesto, dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried dill, crushed red pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper to a 9×13 inch baking dish

3. Next, add the cooked quinoa, olives, artichokes, and pepperoncinis. Toss well until all of the ingredients are well distributed 

4. Dollop ricotta over the mixtures 

5. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese and scatter sliced red peppers on top. Place the pepperonis on top, sprinkle pecorino cheese on top and bake! 

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes 

7. Garnish with fresh basil, tomatoes, and more pecorino or parmesan 

Have any of you started your summer gardens yet? If so, I ENVY you. I want so badly to have a garden full of veggies and fruits, but where I live, there are only 30 nights a year where the temps do not go below freezing. I know people have gardens up here, but it’s just a lot harder to manage. I am currently trying to convince my dad that we should build a greenhouse…unfortunately I think little Asher has him heavily distracted with this whole “daddy will you please buy me a horse thing”. The girl has the poor guy pretty well wrapped around her sweet little finger. Poor Dad!

Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheat

• Make-ahead: Assemble up to the bake stage and refrigerate (covered). Bring to room temp before baking.
• Fridge: Keeps 3–4 days; the flavor deepens.
• Reheat: Add a splash of water or broth, cover, and warm gently until steamy; brighten with lemon and herbs.

K. Cool. Let’s do this!