Pasta With Summer Vegetables and Pecorino Romano
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 24
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
-
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 lbs ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 1⁄2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, leaves picked and chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- coarse salt
- fresh ground white pepper
-
Summer Vegetables
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch dice
- 1⁄2 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch dice
- 1 large onion, peeled, halved, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 3 large ripe plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
- coarse salt
- fresh ground white pepper
-
Assembly
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1⁄2 bunch fresh basil leaf, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup pitted quartered lengthwise kalamata olive (or nicoise olives)
- 5 ounces pecorino romano cheese, freshly grated
directions
- Make the sauce: in a big pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat; add in garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and use a fork or potato masher to break them up as they cook.
- Stir in the basil and thyme; season with sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Increase heat and bring to a boil; decrease heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings.
- Transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth.
- During the pureeing, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a thin stream; set sauce aside, covered, to keep warm.
- Make the vegetables: preheat oven to 400°; set a large saute pan over high heat; when the pan is hot, add about 1 tablespoon oil.
- Saute the zucchini and yellow squash for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened; transfer to a shallow baking dish.
- Saute the peppers in the same pan for about 3 minutes, until slightly softened, adding more oil as needed, and then transfer them to the baking dish.
- Add the eggplant and onion to the pan; saute for 8-10 minutes, until they begin to soften (add more oil if needed); transfer to the baking dish.
- Cook the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes, until just warmed, and then transfer to the baking dish.
- Add the garlic and thyme to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper; bake the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors just meld.
- Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and set aside to keep warm.
- The rest: in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for about 8-10 minutes, until al dente; drain.
- Toss the pasta with the warm vegetables and sauce (mix the vegetables with the sauce and warm them, if needed, before adding them).
- Spoon the pasta onto a warmed serving platter and garnish with the basil leaves, olives, and cheese; serve immediately.
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