Roasted Vegetable Pasta

This Pasta with Roasted Vegetables is one of those dishes that you will make all the time. You can use any combination of roasted veggies and the resulting dish is full of flavor.  Pasta lovers will also want to try this Caprese Pasta and Spinach Artichoke Pasta.

When you think about making a pasta dish, you probably think about adding ground beef or sausage, pasta sauce, and loads of cheese, right? I mean, that's what I used to think as well (and still dream of) but then again, it wasn't healthy for me (and still isn't, especially if I eat the 27 helpings that I always want). If you can't think of any other way to make your pasta super delicious and flavorful, then you're not thinking hard enough.

One of the best ways to impart lots of flavor into pasta without adding lots of calories is by adding roasted vegetables. Although the preparation takes a bit longer, the deep flavors of the vegetables are totally worth it. Then paired with some basil, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese, it makes a delicious vegetable-packed meal that your whole family will love.

The best part is, you can use just about any veggies that you or your family love or you can switch it up with every iteration of this pasta dish. Personally, I almost always include tomatoes since it helps create a great sauce for the pasta, but if you skip the tomatoes, just save some extra pasta water to add "sauciness" to the dish.

So what do you say? What will it be? I mean, you can still have your cheese and your veggies too — it's all about moderation, I say.

How do you make Roasted Vegetable Pasta?

Like any good cook, I preheat the oven first. This time, to 400 degrees. I chop up my vegetables and add them plus the cherry tomatoes to a bowl. To the bowl, I add olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. I spread these veggies out in one layer onto two rimmed baking sheets and roast up both batches for about 30 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, I cook the pasta according to package directions and put aside ¼ cup of the cooking liquid for later.

Once the veggies are done, I add those to the cooked pasta along with any of the juices from cooking. That's followed by basil, garlic, the cooking liquid, lemon zest, and cheese. Give everything a good stir so it comes together and it's time to eat.

What vegetables are good for roasting for pasta?

For this dish, I used asparagus, zucchini, leek, and tomatoes, but there are plenty of variations. Try:

• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Broccolini
• Cauliflower
• Shredded carrots
• Peas
• Mushrooms
• Eggplant (diced)
• Yellow squash
• Butternut squash (diced)
• Onions
• Kale

What does roasting vegetables do?

Roasting vegetables makes them sweeter because the heat of the oven caramelizes the sugars that are in the vegetables naturally. When they caramelize, it changes the way your vegetables taste and gives them more flavor, in some cases they can even taste nuttier.

How do you zest a lemon?

The zest of a lemon is the yellow part of the skin. There is a lot of yummy, tangy flavor in the zest. You only want to take off the yellow part though, as the white rind is bitter.

To zest, use a microplane. You hold the lemon over the top of the microplane (it's like a tiny, handheld grater) and rub the lemon against the blades in one direction. Keep turning the lemon so you only are zesting the yellow part and not the white. You can also use a veggie peeler or a knife to remove the zest if you do not have a microplane, but be sure to chop up the zest into tiny little pieces if you can.

How do you mince garlic?

Minced garlic is garlic that is very, very, very finely diced. You can mince garlic several ways.

1. After you remove the clove from the skin (as well as any green shoots), take a big, sharp chef's knife and run it through the garlic (being sure to scrape any larger bits off the knife here and there) until it resembles tiny little pieces. The finer you mince, the stronger the garlic will tastes.
2. Run the de-skinned garlic clove through a garlic press. (Yes, this is technically pressed and not minced, but the results will be the same.)
3. Purchase minced garlic in a jar from the grocery store.
4. Purchase frozen, minced garlic cubes.

If you are going to chop your own garlic, be sure to chop it before you're going to use it but not too far in advance. The longer it sits, the more pungent it will become.