This is one of those dishes that I feel silly giving you a recipe for because I make it all the time in different iterations. It changes based on what pasta shape I'm in the mood for; what vegetables I have on hand and whether I want to roast, grill, or sauté them; whether I want to go meatless or throw in chicken sausage or Italian sausage; what I want to flavor it with (vinegar, herbs, or lemon juice); and whether I want to throw cheese on top and what kind. It's simple. It's pasta and vegetables and sometimes sausage and cheese. I make it without a recipe, throwing in what I want, tasting and adjusting seasonings as I go.
Most recently, I had a large zucchini and a handful of red Italian frying peppers from my garden, along with some fairy tale eggplants that I had found at the Copley Square Farmers' Market, sitting in the fridge, begging to be paired with pasta.
I picked up some farfalle and grape tomatoes to go with them, and then I rummaged through the cheese drawer (yes, I basically have a full drawer of cheeses in my fridge) and found some leftover goat cheese.
Armed with my ingredients, I started preparing dinner and jotted down notes as I went so I could share this recipe with you. I recommend using it as a guide, adding vegetables you like and skipping those you don't. If you play around with the flavors, the type of cheese, and the pasta shape, this becomes a dish you can make pretty regularly for dinner without getting tired of it. It's my comfort food, but I also like to think it's somewhat good for me since I pack it so full of vegetables.
Farfalle With Roasted Summer Vegetables And Chicken Sausage
This flavor-packed pasta dish features roasted summer vegetables, chicken sausage,
balsamic vinegar, and goat cheese.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound zucchini, cut in large chunks
14 ounces fairy tale eggplants, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise
10 ounces grape tomatoes
4 ounces (about 6) red Italian frying peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut in rings
8 ounces farfalle
1 (12-ounce package) sundried tomato chicken sausage, sliced 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
Goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons olive oil over a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss zucchini and eggplant together on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Roast, stirring and flipping often, for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large frying pan or wide, shallow pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown on both sides. Turn off heat.
Add tomatoes and peppers to baking sheet with zucchini and eggplant, along with a healthy drizzle of olive oil, and toss the vegetables together. Roast for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring and flipping often, until vegetables are soft and tomatoes are bursting. (If vegetables are ready before pasta, set aside until pasta is ready.)
Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain and stir into chicken sausage.
Add the vegetables and any oil from the baking sheet and stir everything together.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then divide the pasta among bowls.
Top the pasta with goat cheese, if desired, and serve.
Do you have a versatile go-to dinner like this?