Today’s recipe is one for a super simple summery dinner we have been having a lot lately – roasted vegetable pasta. It’s very hands off and very simple, which is why I like it – when the weather is this gorgeous I will take all the shortcuts I can so that I can spend less time by the stove and more in my beloved hammock.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
EGGPLANT, ZUCCHINI and PEPPER: As it’s a roasted vegetable pasta, a medley of summer vegetables are key. I went for an eggplant, a courgette (also known as zucchini) and pepper. Fennel would also be a nice addition.
CHERRY TOMATOES: Sweet cherry tomatoes add a bit of hands off sauciness to this simple roasted vegetable pasta. I whack them into the oven towards the end of the baking time so that they get soft and jammy without disintegrating.
BALSAMIC: A quality balsamic minges with tomato juices and extra virgin olive oil to create a very simple yet delicious sauce. I recommend using good quality balsamic that’s thick and syrupy.
PASTA: Small shaped pasta is perfect for this dish, I used short rigatoni, or Mezzi Rigatoni in the photos but orzo is also a great choice.
GARLIC: A bit of grated raw garlic added to the tomatoes flavours vegetables nicely. If you don’t have raw garlic, half a teaspoon of dried garlic will work well enough.
HERBS: Fresh herbs are a perfect way to add flavour to any dish. I used a handful of parsley and basil as that’s what I had in my fridge and on my windowsill but either of these by themselves works well too.
OLIVE OIL: Olive oil is pretty explanatory, if you are watching the amount of added fat, you can get away with 2 tbsp for the entire dish, but 3 tbsp makes this roasted vegetable pasta tastier and more indulgent.
- 1 eggplant / aubergine (about 300 g / 10.5 oz)
- 1 zucchini (about 200 g / 7 oz)
- 1 large red pepper
- 200 g / 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 45 ml / 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 20 ml / 1½ tbsp thick balsamic
- 5 ml / 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper
- 1½ tsp oregano
- 2 tsp roasted vegetable spice mix (any brand)
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 200 g / 7 oz cooked pasta
- a large handful of basil and/or parsley leaves
- 400 g / 14 oz cooked chickpeas (optional)
- 100 g / 3.5 oz vegan feta or other similar cheese, to serve (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 220° C / 425° F and grab a baking tray.
- Cut aubergine and zucchini into 1.25 cm / 0.5 inch slices, then cut the zucchini slices into halves and aubergine slices into quarters. Cut pepper into large chunks.
- Coat in 2 tbsp of olive oil, season with oregano, spice mix and salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once.
- Cut cherry tomatoes into halves so that where the stalk comes out of is on one half. Coat in 1 tbsp of oil, season with 1 tsp oregano, 1 grated garlic clove, 1 tsp of sugar and 1½ tbsp of balsamic. Add to the tin with vegetable and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Stir veggies through cooked pasta (and chickpeas if using). Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve with crumbled vegan feta on top.