Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini
It’s that time of year again – when everyone who is growing zucchini is looking for ways to use zucchini an/or looking for friends on whom to dump bags of zucchini. I happen to like the ubiquitous squash and through the years have found lots of ways to use it up like making delicious pan fried zucchini cakes and canning zucchini marmalade. If you are also lucky to have some eggplant to go with your zucchini you can make a simple, yet delicious dinner that comes together pretty quickly that celebrates the bounty of summer. As I get settled in my new house in Vermont I am revisiting this recipe that celebrates the vegetables of summer.
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Pasta with Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini
Serves 6 – 8
2 medium eggplants
2 medium zucchini
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup dried tomato pieces
1 pound pasta – ziti, penne or the like
salt to taste
Toppings:
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts*
(*to toast pine nuts add to a small fry pan over medium heat until they just start to brown. Keep the nuts moving as they burn easily.)
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Preheat oven to 350°
Cut the eggplant and zucchini into small cubes. Add to a bowl and mix with olive oil. and generous amount of salt
Add the zucchini and eggplant to baking dishes, making sure they are in a single layer
Roast in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Remove one pan from the oven and mix in the garlic and dried tomato pieces. Stir well.
Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes or until the eggplant is very soft and fully cooked.
While the vegetables are roasted cook the pasta in salted water. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the water before you drain the pasta
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Set aside in the pot until the vegetables are ready.
Add the cooked vegetables to the pasta and gently stir. Taste and adjust seasoning. If needed add some of the pasta water.
To serve: add to a bowl and top with pesto, Parmesan cheese and the toasted pine nuts
How Was the Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini with Pasta?
It was pretty tasty if I do say so myself. This is a really great meal to make for company as it doesn’t have to be served piping hot and actually gets better as it sits. Especially if you don’t know when your company is arriving. It’s also a good meal to make to have on hand for an easy meal to heat up at any time during a busy week.
I have made this meal several times during the years we had a flourishing garden and it is one that we both thoroughly enjoyed – on the first night and as leftovers. It is delicious served with a fresh from the garden salad and some garlic knots.
Eggplant is one of my favorite summer vegetables and I love it in meals like eggplant ravioli and especially eggplant pizza. Yum!
