Pasta Smothered with Roasted Vegetables- An Easy Recipe for Weeknights

By awright0511

Ingredients

• 1 package of your favorite rice pasta (I buy Tinkyada White Rice Pasta in bulk from Amazon- smooth and creamy, my favorite)
• Half a head of cauliflower, cored, cut into pieces
• 1 head of broccoli, trimmed, cut into pieces
• 1 yellow squash, cut into half moons
• 1 zucchini squash, cut into half moons
• 1 half a butternut squash, skinned, cut into pieces
• 3 large carrots, trimmed, peeled
• 3/4 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 sweet or red onion, peeled and cut into pieces
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded, chopped or sliced (or use half of both colors)
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Dried herbs- sage, rosemary, thyme, etc., to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper. Splash on some extra virgin olive oil. Add more balsamic vinegar than you think you'll need. Throw in a heaping spoonful of your favorite dried herbs. I like a combo of parsley, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil. [There's a song in there somewhere.]

Give them a hearty toss. Crank up the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put on a pot of salted pasta water.

Roast the veggies for about 45 minutes to an hour - stirring them at least once or twice - until they are charred a bit and caramelized. If you prefer your vegetables less cooked, shorten the roasting time. Bubela, you're in charge.

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Drizzle and toss in your best tasting olive [or go all the way and coat the pasta in pesto]. Plate the pasta in shallow bowls and top generously with the roasted gems.

Karina's Notes:

Shave some good Parmesan cheese over the top (not the stuff in a  green can) or a crumble of goat cheese, if desired.

To keep this vegan and dairy-free forgo the cheese or add a dash of vegan "Parmesan".