This healthy pasta dish exemplifies everything I love about cooking during the summer. You throw a bunch of farm fresh, seasonal vegetables on the grill and then serve them over a pasta or grains – it couldn’t be easier!
This recipe is full of summer vegetables – cherry tomatoes, eggplant and red peppers and then topped with my spinach-basil pesto sauce. While these vegetables are available year-round, they are really at their peak from July to October.
The eggplant and red peppers can be easily grilled. The cherry tomatoes will require a grill basket or you can roast them in the oven.
You will love this recipe because it is very adaptable.
- You can serve over any type of pasta or grain that you like. I like to eat this with chickpea or lentil pasta for extra fiber and protein but these vegetables would taste great with a whole wheat pasta, quinoa or farro.
- If you want to add more protein to the dish, you can add tofu or a white bean would taste good here. If you are an omnivore, chicken or shrimp would work well here too.
- If you want to take a shortcut, you can skip making the spinach-basil pesto, and buy a vegan pesto. However, my spinach-basil pesto recipe has a lot less oil than conventional brands.
Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta
A healthy, bright pasta dish featuring fresh summer vegetables and a homemade spinach-basil pesto, which can be served over a variety of noodles and grains.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dish, Side Dish
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers, seeded and cut in half
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 medium eggplants cut into rounds about 3/8 inch thick
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Avocado oil spray
- 4 cups of cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Spinach-Basil Pesto
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 cups of baby spinach
- 2 cups basil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup cold water
- Thin basil slices and pine nuts for garnish.
Pasta
- Cook 1/2 pound of your favorite pasta (about 4 cups cooked)
Instructions
- Salt eggplant slides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, blot excess water from eggplant slides and spray lightly with avocado or olive oil spray.
- Heat grill to medium-low heat (about 350-375 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Add eggplant to grill and cook for about 20 minutes (until tender – do not let burn)
- Meanwhile, coat red peppers with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Roast red peppers on the grill at medium low heat (about 350-275 degrees F) for about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Coat cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Heat in grill basket or in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until soft. Set aside.
- To make the pesto add the garlic, nuts, olive oil, and lemon juice to food processor and run until chopped. Chop the basil and spinach coarsely. Add the spinach and basil to garlic and nut mixture and run until smooth.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
To serve:
- Assemble four bowls with pasta.
- Cut eggplant slices into quarters. Slice red pepper half into thin slices.
- Evenly divide tomato mixture, eggplant and red pepper slices. Add 2 tablespoons (or more pesto) to dish. Top with additional sliced basil and pine nuts for garnish.