If I had to pick only one cooking method that I could use to prepare vegetables, roasting would definitely be it. Throw a baking sheet full of veggies in the oven, forget about it while you get some other things done, and come back to a pan filled with produce that your whole family will readily eat. Roasting brings out sweeter notes in vegetables while mellowing out stronger flavors and textures that kids tend to dislike. Want to pack your dinner with even more produce? Take it one step further and blend those veggies into a smooth and flavorful pasta sauce.
This recipe is quite easily adaptable to vegetables you have on hand. If you only have one kind of onion on hand, use that. Shallots instead of garlic? Go for it. No carrots? Try some squash instead. Just get roasting those vegetables, because this may just become your favorite no-brainer weeknight meal.
- 1 large purple onion, peeled and cut into eighths
- 2 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes
- 4 large heirloom tomatoes, quartered
- 8 baby rainbow carrots
- 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 lb uncooked pasta
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Arrange vegetables on baking sheet. Top with herbs and drizzle with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast in preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, until vegetables are tender and browning in spots. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Place roasted vegetables in a food processor or blender. Process until very smooth.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving a small amount of pasta water. Top pasta with roasted vegetable sauce, adding a little pasta water if needed to thin sauce slightly.
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