For years, I was under the illusion that roasting vegetables was one of those things you do on the weekend, when you have plenty of time.
Then, when I began roasting veggies to add to weekday lunch salads, I realized how quick the process can be.
Here, we're roasting eggplant and onions, then adding faster-cooking cherry tomatoes, to add to pasta. The amount of oil is approximate.
Other vegetables that would work are sweet bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli florets and green beans.
This pasta dish makes four smallish servings or three larger ones. Serve it with a tossed salad and ciabatta.
Renee Enna is a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune.
Pasta With Roasted Eggplant, Onions and Tomatoes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Salted water
1⁄2 pound pasta shells or variety of choice
1⁄4 cup olive oil, about, plus more for coating baking sheet
1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1-inch by 2-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, halved, chopped lengthwise in thirds
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 to 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, about
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, about
1 tablespoon butter
1⁄2 to 1 cup shredded fresh basil
Freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese
Heat a stockpot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil; brush a generous amount of olive oil over the surface. (This will coat the base of the vegetables and also make them easy to remove.) Add the eggplant and onion to cover about two-thirds of the pan; it's OK if they're squished together; the vegetables will shrink while they are roasting. Drizzle additional olive oil over the vegetables, then use a silicone brush to distribute the oil over them.
Put the tomatoes in large serving bowl; add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Stir to coat.
Sprinkle 1 1⁄2 tablespoons Italian seasoning over the vegetables on the pan, and 1 teaspoon over the tomatoes. Season the vegetables and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Bake the eggplant and onions for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven; stir the ingredients and break up the onions a bit. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Use a brush to move the tomatoes around to distribute the oil and seasoning. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over all of the ingredients; use a brush to distribute. Bake until a fork pierces easily through the onion and eggplant, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Drain the pasta; pour it into a large serving bowl. Stir in the butter until it is melted. Add the roasted ingredients, including the juices; stir. Scatter basil over top. Add the cheese or pass it for serving.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 421 calories, 18 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 10 grams protein, 56 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams dietary fiber, 301 milligrams sodium
