Pasta with Balsamic-Roasted Summer Vegetables, Chickpeas, and Herbs
 
 
Like most recipes that I’ve been making for years, this one has undergone a few changes and tweaks each time I’ve made it. The first few times I made this recipe, I ALWAYS added goat cheese to the entire dish, stirring it into the warm pasta and vegetables and thus making a creamy, tangy sauce of sorts that coated every bite. However, once I started making this dish for my 2 young boys, who are not the biggest fans of goat cheese (I am still holding out hope that they will eventually see the error of their ways), I added some grated Parmesan cheese to the whole dish instead, and served the goat cheese on the side. Lately all 3 of my boys (my husband included) have been adding some crumbled feta cheese to their bowls, a tasty addition that also lends a Greek/Mediterranean flavor vibe (especially if you throw in some chopped olives, as my younger son likes to do). Feel free to add whatever cheese you and your family would like—served on the side, if you prefer—or omit the cheese altogether to keep the dish dairy-free and vegan.

The chickpeas are a more recent addition to this dish, because I am always looking for ways to add a little more protein and fiber to our meals, especially meals higher in carbohydrates. Adding beans is an easy (and relatively inexpensive) way to help provide that balance of macronutrients.

This recipe is ideal to make in late summer/early fall, when the summer vegetables (tomatoes, summer squash) are still plentiful, but the nights are getting cooler and you might be craving something a little more hearty and warming (and you don’t mind turning on your oven). Leftovers also keep well in the refrigerator, in a tightly covered container, for a couple of days, so if you are looking for a way to use up an abundance of summer vegetables (or if you have a bigger family to feed), you can certainly double the recipe. Reheat leftovers in a pan on the stove, or in the microwave (add a drizzle of olive oil if the pasta seems a little dry), or serve it at room temperature, pasta-salad style.

Serves 4 as a main dish.
(For my family of 4, including 2 always-hungry, growing boys, this recipe makes *just* enough for us for dinner, when also served with a green salad. If I want to have any leftovers, I need to double the recipe.)
Author:
Ingredients
  • -- Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil for coating the baking sheets
  • -- ½ pound (8 ounces) dried pasta of your choice (I love fusilli in this dish because the little spirals hold onto the balsamic dressing and other seasonings particularly well, but any short pasta shape—e.g., penne, rigatoni—will work here. For added nutrition and fiber, use whole-wheat pasta.)
  • -- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced crosswise into ½-inch half-moon pieces
  • -- 1 medium yellow summer squash, ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced crosswise into ½-inch half-moon pieces
  • -- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • -- 1 large red onion, peeled, thinly sliced, and separated into rings
  • -- 4 plum tomatoes, quartered *
  • -- 2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
  • -- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
  • -- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • -- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt, or more to taste (I use ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, but feel free to start with the lesser amount, especially if you are using a salty feta cheese in the finished dish. You can always add more to taste later.)
  • -- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • -- 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • -- ½ cup finely minced fresh herbs ** (I usually use about ¼ cup finely minced flat-leaf parsley leaves and ¼ cup finely minced basil leaves, but use whichever combination of fresh herbs you’d like. Fresh thyme also works well in this dish.)
  • -- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • -- Crumbed feta cheese and/or soft goat cheese (optional, but highly recommended) (I figure about 1 ounce of cheese per person.)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly coat 1 or 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, toss together the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, red onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil/balsamic dressing over the vegetables; toss gently to thoroughly coat the vegetables with the dressing. Reserve the remaining dressing for the pasta.
  3. Spread the vegetables in a single layer onto 1 or 2 large rimmed baking sheets. (Make sure the vegetables aren’t too crowded on the pan(s), or they will steam rather than roast and you won’t get that nice caramelization that makes this dish so delectable. I usually use 2 pans to ensure they have enough room.) Roast the vegetables in the oven until tender and slightly caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring them halfway through the cooking time.
  4. While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a couple of pinches of salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions (usually about 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the pasta). Drain and transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl. (Sometimes I add the pasta back to the empty pot, then mix everything together in the pot before transferring the whole thing to a serving bowl. I’m a messy cook, so the pot helps to contain the mess.)
  5. Add the chickpeas to the cooked pasta in the bowl, then add the roasted vegetables, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan(s) into the pasta bowl. (I like to break up the roasted tomatoes a bit with a spoon while stirring them into the pasta, almost creating a tomato sauce of sorts that helps to flavor the pasta.) Pour the reserved olive oil/balsamic dressing over everything, and stir it all together. Add the fresh herbs and the Parmesan cheese, stir, then taste and adjust seasonings. If the pasta seems dry, add a little more olive oil. Serve hot or at room temperature with goat cheese, feta cheese, and/or additional grated Parmesan cheese on the side. (Or, if all the people you are feeding can agree—a beautiful but rare event—add 3 to 4 ounces of goat or feta cheese to the pasta before serving, tossing it all together until the cheese melts a little. A soft goat cheese will create a creamy, tangy “sauce” as it melts into the warm pasta and vegetables; feta cheese won’t melt quite as much, but it’s still tasty.)
Notes
* I like to use plum tomatoes in this dish and quarter them, so that they don’t break down too much in the oven; they soften just enough to flavor the dish and create a bit of a tomato “sauce” to coat the pasta. You can certainly use halved cherry or grape tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes if you prefer; just keep in mind that due to their smaller size, cherry or grape tomatoes will roast more quickly. If this is a concern, you can wait to add them to the baking sheet until the rest of the veggies have about 10 to 15 minutes left to roast in the oven.

** If you don’t have any fresh herbs on hand, you can use dried herbs or dried Italian seasoning. Just sprinkle the vegetables with the dried herbs (a couple of teaspoons should be enough) before roasting them in the oven.


Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine, May 1997.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-pasta-with-balsamic-roasted-summer-vegetables-chickpeas-and-herbs/