blissful eats with Tina Jeffers: Fresh Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes, Zucchini and Sausage

Now that summer is in full swing I am always looking for ways to make dinner with all the beautiful ingredients coming out of the garden.   I am one of those unusual people that can never get enough zucchini.  You have heard all the jokes about people dumping the overflow from the garden on their unsuspecting neighbors, but not me, I can never get enough.  I love to quick sauté them with some garlic and olive oil, scramble them with eggs, bake them into bread and of course my favorite was is to roast them over high heat and toss them with homemade pasta.   Since tomatoes aren’t at their peak yet, roasting them at high heat really intensifies their natural sweetness.  This dish comes together really quickly and is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Fresh pasta with roasted tomatoes, zucchini and sausage

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2-3 medium zucchini sliced into ½ inch pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 pound Italian sausage

one bunch basil (about ¼ cup)

2 cloves garlic minced

5 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound fresh or dried pasta

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.  Place the zucchini and tomatoes on separate rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment and toss each with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 clove of minced garlic, a handful of  basil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until zucchini is lightly browned and the tomatoes have softened about 20 to 25 minutes.  Meanwhile heat a skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and break up with a spoon until cooked through.    

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente about 4 minutes for fresh or 12 minutes for dried.  Drain pasta and reserve ½ cup of cooking water.  Return pasta to pot, toss with a tablespoon of the olive oil.

Add the zucchini and tomatoes to the sausage making sure to scrap any juices that have accumulated in the pan and cook for a few minutes being careful not to break up the tomatoes.  Add the pasta and some of the reserved cooking liquid and cook just until everything is heated through.  Plate the pasta, sprinkle with the parmesan and some fresh basil.