Roasted Cherry Tomato and Vegetable Pasta

I love to use fresh, ripe vegetables all summer long. Unfortunately there are some vegetables I just don't like no matter how hard I try. Raw tomatoes fall into this category. I know I'm missing out but I just can't stand the taste and texture of raw tomatoes. Luckily, I love cooked tomatoes in all their forms.  This recipe is a quick, easy pasta that takes advantage of vegetables in season and is endlessly adaptable. 

For the "sauce", all you need is cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and whatever other vegetables you want to use.

I used asparagus, onion and zucchini.  I also like to use hot pepper flakes.
On a large sheet pan drizzle some olive oil.

Then add the cherry tomatoes and chopped onion.

Add the chopped zucchini, minced garlic and chili flakes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of dried Italian seasoning if you like.  And roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile boil some water for your pasta and prepare your asparagus.  

Once the vegetables have roasted for about 20 minutes, add the asparagus and toss them around again to coat with oil.  The tomatoes should be bursting at this point.  Now you should also add your pasta to the boiling water.

I also decided to have some grilled shrimp with this pasta, so I marinated the peeled shrimp for a few minutes in white wine, chili flakes and garlic.

Then threaded them on wooden skewers and grilled them for just a few minutes until just cooked through.

I also grated some peccorino cheese.

Just before the pasta was done, I scooped out about a cup of the hot pasta water.

Then I drained the pasta.  This is whole wheat spaghetti but you can use any noodle you like.

By now the vegetables should be done.  

The tomatoes will have burst and the vegetables will be caramelized and roasted.

In a large bowl (or the empty pasta pot) mix the cooked pasta with the roasted vegetables.  Add as much hot pasta water as you need to give the "sauce" some moisture, then serve in individual bowls.

Fresh herbs like basil, oregano or parsley would also be delicious mixed in at this point.

Sprinkle with the grated cheese and the grilled shrimp for a delicious, summery pasta.  


Any seasonal vegetable is great with this. In the winter I like to use fennel, eggplant and Italian sausage.  Whatever vegetables you use, this is an easy, delicious meal.