Roasted veggies quick pasta fix

For years I was under the illusion that roasting vegetables was one of those things you do on the weekend, when you have plenty of time. Then, when I began roasting veggies to add to my weekday lunch salads, I realized how quick the process can be. This is especially true when you layer the baking pan with foil to facilitate cleanup, a tip I learned from baking author Nick Malgieri.

Here we’re roasting eggplant and onions, then adding faster-cooking cherry tomatoes, to add to pasta. The amount of oil is approximate, depending on your taste. Do know, however, that you don’t have to soak the eggplant with oil to get delicious results. As I have learned from experience, eggplant will keep absorbing as much oil as you keep providing — so save your calories and refuse to buy into its wily appetite for excess. Also, other vegetables that would do nicely here, with similar cooking times: bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli florets and green beans.

This pasta dish makes four smallish servings or three larger ones. You can supplement it with a tossed salad and ciabatta.

Pasta With Roasted Eggplant, Onions and Tomatoes

Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 20 minutes; Makes: 4 servings

1/2 pound pasta shells or variety of choice

1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1-by-2-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, halved, chopped lengthwise in thirds

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil, about

1 to 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt, about

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, about

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 to 1 cup shredded fresh basil

Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Heat a stockpot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 1 large baking sheet with foil; brush a generous amount of olive oil over surface. (This will coat base of vegetables and also make them easy to remove.) Add eggplant and onion to cover about two-thirds of pan; it’s OK if they’re squished together; the vegetables will shrink while roasting. Drizzle additional olive oil over vegetables, then use a silicone brush to distribute over them.

Put tomatoes in large serving bowl; add about 2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir to coat.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning over vegetables on pan, and 1 teaspoon over the tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on both vegetables and tomatoes. Bake eggplant and onions, 10 minutes.

Remove pan from oven; stir ingredients and break up the onions a bit. Add cherry tomatoes to pan. Use brush to move tomatoes around to distribute oil and seasoning. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over all ingredients; use brush to distribute. Bake until fork pierces easily through the onion and eggplant, 10-15 minutes.

Drain pasta; pour into large serving bowl. Stir in butter until it’s melted. Add roasted ingredients, including juices; stir. Scatter basil over top. Add cheese or pass for serving.

Per serving: 421 calories, 18 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 56 g carbohydrates, 10 g protein, 301 mg sodium, 7 g fiber