Heavenly Pasta

Roasting brings a rich sweetness and intense flavor to any vegetable. I buy a variety of fresh vegetables, whatever looks best at the grocery, and use them to make side dishes, pasta dishes and soups.

Molly Katzen's Vegetable Heaven is a great resource. From artichokes to zucchini, she tells you how to roast each to exquisite perfection. And it's sooooo easy!

My latest incarnation is a Roasted Vegetable Pasta. This recipe is very adaptable. It's really more of a guideline. Please use whatever fresh veggies you prefer.
Here's what I used

1 small head of garlic
1 medium head cauliflower
2 japanese eggplants
3 medium heirloom tomatoes
2 medium zucchini
olive oil
Fusilli shaped pasta
Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh basil, cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade)

Rinse the garlic, cut off the top of the head, wrap it in foil and roast in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until garlic head is very soft. Allow to cool enough to handle safely. Squeeze the garlic out of it's skin and set aside.

Cut the cauliflower, eggplant, tomatoes and zucchini into bite size pieces. Add to roasting pan along with a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Roast at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender (the tomatoes will become very soft). Add in the garlic and stir gently to combine.

Meanwhile cook the pasta as directed on the package. Drain the pasta reserving 1/4cup of the cooking water. Add the 1/4 cup of water to the roasted vegetables.

Place the pasta on a plate, top with the roasted vegetables, grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Enjoy!