Penne with Sweet Summer Vegetables, Pine Nuts, and Herbs

By á-24918

Ingredients

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• 2 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut off
• 2 large zucchini or summer squash, sliced in half lengthwise and then chopped into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided into 3 tbsp and 1 tbsp
• 8 ounces penne or farfalle pasta
• 1/3 cup torn basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set a pot of boiled water on the stove to boil. Toss vegetables and garlic with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Keep the corn separate, however. Divide all vegetables save corn onto baking sheets and start roasting them for 35-40 minutes, or until they’re vegetables are becoming sweet, golden, and slightly caramelized (to get this effect, you’ll want to avoid tossing them around too much as they cook). Fifteen minutes before the end of the roasting process, add the corn, which cooks a little faster than the other vegetables! If you’re using the pine nuts, now is the time to toast them gently in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Stir them continually, and remove them as soon as they’re becoming golden. Cook pasta till tender but slightly al dente. Drain and return to pot, reserving a small amount of the cooking liquid. Add the roast vegetables, along with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and a tiny bit of the cooking liquid, to the pasta. Toss in the basil and oregano, and serve, topped with toasted pine nuts if desired.
Note: most fresh pastas do contain egg or milk. So use any of the popular dry brands, like Barilla or De Cecco. For vegans or those with a gluten allergy you can use brown rice or quinoa pasta in place of the regular pasta.