Really Tasty Pasta Dish!
I know it doesn't look like much, but this was a really flavorful dish. Roasting the vegetables is the trick. It brings out the sweetness and creates a yummy sauce from all the juices.
My inspiration for this recipe came from Ina Garden's recipe
Orzo with Roasted Vegetables.
I used the same dressing and it really gives the pasta a nice zing!
With the holiday fast approaching things have been pretty hectic lately. Between nursing a back ache and now trying to get over a cold, it has been a real challenge to get anything done. I did manage to bake my usual cookie marathon. I made so many cookies, bars and brownies that my head is still spinning. I spent all day Saturday from 9:30am to 9:30pm decorating and packaging them all. Now I have to figure out how to deliver all of them in the mist of all these snow storms. I got over a foot of snow in my neck of the woods.
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday!
Happy cooking and baking!
Penne with Roasted Eggplant, Peppers and Olives1 medium/large eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
2 red bell peppers, 1-inch diced
1 large leek, ends cut off, cut vertically, 3/4 inch sliced and washed thoroughly
2 cups black olives, pitted and left whole
3 medium shallots, quartered
8 garlic cloves, left whole
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne or your favorite pasta shape
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, leeks, shallots, olives and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 45 minutes, until browned, turning once halfway through cooking.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid; drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. If the pasta is a little dry add some of the cooking liquid. Add the pignolis, Pecorino, and parsley. Taste for seasoning and serve. May also be served at room temperature.
I found these cute containers at the Christmas Tree Shop. I usually find something there every year. I filled them with milk and dark chocolate covered pretzel nuggets. Not the easiest pretzel to cover. Because they are so small it was difficult get them out of the chocolate and to let them drip after dipping.
I filled these ornaments and small holiday trays with large sour dough pretzels dipped in dark chocolate. These were a little easier to manage.
Oh did I tell you that my first batch all turned gray?? Yeah, what a nightmare. I guess it had something to do with not tempering the chocolate. I have never tempered chocolate before and never really had a problem. I think I just left the chocolate on the heat (in the double boiler) too long. So anyway, I had to unwrap everything and start all over again. What a back ache~ literally! My back is killing me and this disaster didn't help.
