Pasta With Summer Vegetables And Pecorino Romano

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 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 pepper
• 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 pepper
• 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

Recipe

• 1 make the sauce: in a big pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat; add in garlic and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
• 2 add in the tomatoes and use a fork or potato masher to break them up as they cook.
• 3 stir in the basil and thyme; season with sugar, salt, and pepper.
• 4 increase heat and bring to a boil; decrease heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings.
• 5 transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth.
• 6 during the pureeing, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a thin stream; set sauce aside, covered, to keep warm.
• 7 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.
• 8 saute the zucchini and yellow squash for about 5 minutes, until slightly softened; transfer to a shallow baking dish.
• 9 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.
• 10 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.
• 11 cook the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes, until just warmed, and then transfer to the baking dish.
• 12 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.
• 13 remove from the oven, cover with foil, and set aside to keep warm.
• 14 the rest: in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for about 8-10 minutes, until al dente; drain.
• 15 toss the pasta with the warm vegetables and sauce (mix the vegetables with the sauce and warm them, if needed, before adding them).
• 16 spoon the pasta onto a warmed serving platter and garnish with the basil leaves, olives, and cheese; serve immediately.