Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

1 medium zucchini, diced
1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and diced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces whole-wheat pasta of your choice
½ cup crumbled feta cheese for sprinkling at the table.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil.
Toss zucchini, bell pepper and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large roasting pan or large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes, until tender and browned, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, basil, garlic and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook pasta until just tender. Drain and transfer to the bowl with the tomatoes. Add the roasted vegetables and toss well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve, passing feta cheese separately.

Note: I added some sliced shitake mushrooms while baking. It was delicious.

Oven roasted fingerling potatoes and vegetables

Oven roasted fingerling potatoes and vegetables

This is a great and easy side dish to make. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

2 small fennel bulbs, tops removed
1 pound fingerling or small potatoes
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound French string beans (haricots verts), trimmed. If you can’t find French green beans, just use regular green beans and cut them diagonally into 2 inch pieces.
1 bunch thin asparagus, ends removed, cut diagonally into 3 inch pieces.
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the fennel bulbs into 6 wedges each, cutting out the core. Cut the potatoes in half length wise and place them on the pan with the fennel. Drizzle the live oil on the vegetables, then sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss with your hands.

Roast the vegetables for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, tossing once while cooking. Toss the string beans and asparagus with the roasted vegetables an roast for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan if desired and roast for another minute until the cheese melts.

Check for seasoning and serve hot.