Roasted Vegetable Pasta

This easy roasted vegetable pasta recipe is incredibly satisfying, wholesome, and delicious. The perfect celebration of summer produce!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 542

Author Timothy Pakron

Ingredients

2 medium carrots 7 oz / 200 g
1 large globe eggplant 1 ½ lbs / 700 g
8-10 large shiitake mushrooms 7 oz / 200 g
1 medium zucchini 6 oz / 170 g
Half a container cherry tomatoes 5 oz / 145 g
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast plus some
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 big pinch dried thyme
Sea salt to taste
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
3 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 teaspoon
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons ume plum vinegar or rice vinegar
1 cup cooked green lentils 6 oz / 166 g
½ lb penne pasta 8 oz / 228 g
1 ½ cups good marinara 12 oz / 350 g
3 tablespoons capers drained
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons raw walnuts
Pinch flaky salt
1 big handful fresh basil leaves thinly sliced

Instructions

Prepare the oven and cut the vegetables: Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425°F. Then cut the mushrooms and zucchini into large, bite-sized chunks. Cut the eggplant into smaller, bite-sized pieces (about ¾-inch cubes). Peel the carrots, slice them in half lengthwise, and slice them into fairly thin half-moons (about ¼-inch thick).
Season and roast: Place the chopped vegetables onto a large sheet tray. Note: If you don’t have a very large sheet tray, you can use two smaller trays. Just switch their spots halfway through to ensure even roasting. Add the cherry tomatoes as well (halving any particularly large ones), along with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, a big pinch of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), olive oil, tamari, and ume plum vinegar (or rice vinegar). Toss well to coat. Strain and rinse the cooked lentils, and drizzle with an additional teaspoon of olive oil. Mix well and using your fingers, evenly sprinkle the lentils over the seasoned vegetables. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the eggplant morsels are soft, succulent, and completely tender. Once done, give it a toss and taste for seasoning, adding an additional pinch of salt and pepper, if desired.
Cook the pasta: While the vegetables roast, you can cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once al dente, drain, reserving about ¼ cup of pasta water. Return the pasta and pasta water back to the pot and place over just below medium heat. Add a cup of the marinara along with the capers and an additional sprinkle of nutritional yeast. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, crack the lid over top, and set aside.
Make the walnut parmesan: Zest the lemon directly onto the cutting board, and add the walnuts along with a big pinch of flaky salt and an additional teaspoon of nutritional yeast. Finely chop the pile until the walnuts are finely chopped and crumbly.
Assemble and serve: Once both the pasta and the vegetables are done, add the vegetables to the pot and stir well to combine. Transfer to desired serving bowls and use a spoon to add little dollops of the remaining ½ cup of marinara all over the pasta. Garnish with a sprinkling of basil and the walnut parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

I prefer to use extra small cherry tomatoes. If you find larger ones, you can halve them. If you are using a large tomato, simply cut into small pieces.

For this recipe, you can use whatever eggplant you like! I do recommend peeling it for a more luxurious eating experience. The skin can be quite tough.

Ume plum vinegar is bright, savory, and salty. I adore it! If you cannot find any, you can simply use rice vinegar.

I discuss how to cook lentils in the blog post but you could also used canned or prepared and packaged lentils, as well.

Nutrition