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–+ servings
Roasted Vegetable Pasta in a white bowl.
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Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Author: Aleksandra

Ingredients

for the pasta:

  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic unpeeled
  • 2 teaspoons French or Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to your taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 11 ounces (310g) penne pasta
  • 1/2 cup (65g) crumbled feta cheese
  • fresh basil leaves

for the sauce:

  • all the roasted garlic
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 4 pieces roasted tomato
  • 2 pieces roasted onion
  • 1/4 cup pasta cooking water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C), place the wire rack one shelf above the center of the oven.
  • Prepare the vegetables: Cut zucchini into thick, about 1/2-3/4 inch (1.5-2 cm) slices, then cut the larger slices in half. Cut the eggplant into thick, about 1/2-3/4 inch (1.5-2 cm) slices, then cut the larger slices in half or in quarters (depending on the size of the slices). Cut the bell pepper into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Cut roma tomatoes into 8 parts - cut them in half, then again in half lengthwise, then cut each wedge in half crosswise. Cut the onion the same way. All the vegetables should be cut into large chunks to promote browning and prevent them from becoming overly soft in the hot oven.
  • Place the zucchini, eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet (don´t line it with parchment paper). Sprinkle them with red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hand until evenly coated. Place tomato chunks in between the vegetables (tomatoes are added later in order to not toss vegetables that are supposed to brown with tomato juices). Drizzle all the vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  • Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the vegetables are browned but not too soft. Note: Baking time may be different depending on the oven and the vegetables may be done quicker if they are less overcrowded than mine! Keep an eye on the vegetables towards the end of the baking time to avoid burning them.
  • While the vegetables are baking, cook the pasta al dente in a large pot according to package instructions. By the end of the cooking time, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
  • Make the sauce: When the vegetables are done baking - peel all the garlic cloves and add to a food processor. Add 4 pieces of roasted tomato and 2 pieces of roasted onion.
  • Transfer all the roasted vegetables to the pot with cooked and drained pasta.
  • Pour the pasta cooking water onto the baking sheet. Scrape all the brown bits at the bottom of the baking sheet to infuse the pasta cooking water with as much flavor as possible. Add the liquid to the food processor with onions, garlic, and tomato. Add lemon juice and mix until well combined (if you don´t have a food processor, you can mash all the ingredients with a fork). Now slowly add 2 tablespoons of olive oil while mixing at a very low speed to emulsify (combine) the sauce.
  • Assemble: add the sauce to the pasta and vegetables. Add crumbled feta and torn with your fingers basil leaves (will be more aromatic than cut with a knife). Toss everything together. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Calories = 1 serving (1/3 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Nutrition

Calories: 738kcal