Roasted Balsamic Vegetable Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, diced (about 2-3 cups)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large, diced (about 2-3 cups)
- 1 red pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and diced
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, stems removed, mushrooms quartered or halved
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- Hot, cooked pasta for serving
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Place the chopped eggplant in a large colander set over a bowl or in the sink and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and stir well. Drain for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms and onion in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl or liquid measure, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and rosemary until well blended; pour over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated. Scoop the vegetables onto a large, rimmed baking sheet (12X18-inches) spreading out evenly (use two pans if it seems only one pan is overly full).
- Bake the vegetables for 25-35 minutes until the vegetables are golden and tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle remaining the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the cooked vegetables (more to taste if needed).
- While the vegetables roast, combine the crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, basil and pepper flakes in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add roasted vegetables to the tomato mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Vegetables: don't have eggplant? Hate it? Hey, no problem! This is an incredibly versatile recipe as far as vegetables. I think broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, and a myriad of other veggies would be fantastic roasted here. Also, the amounts are very easily increased or decreased.