The sauce for this pasta dish has a secret: It may taste just like a classic fresh tomato sauce, but it’s packed with veggies. Roasting the vegetables along with plum tomatoes develops their natural sweetness, and they’re blended into a smooth, silky purée so they don’t stand out to kids. It’s a perfect way to get your crowd to embrace a wider variety of vegetables. Serve it over cute ring-shaped pasta for a fun, appealing look and add freshly grated Parmesan and we bet it’s a meal no one will be able to resist.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 large zucchini (10 to 12 ounces), chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces anellini siciliani (about 2 1/4 cups), or other small ring-shaped pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, rosemary, olive oil, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl until evenly combined. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the vegetables are tender and golden brown in spots, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and season the water generously with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta well. Set aside and reserve the pot.
- Once the vegetables finish roasting, remove the rosemary stems and transfer the veggies to a blender along with the reserved pasta water. Blend until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the reserved pot along with the cooked pasta and place over low heat to rewarm. Toss to evenly coat and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with Parmesan on the side if using.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 301 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 1 mg |
| Sodium | 568 mg |