Ingredients
Vegetables
- 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 roma plum tomatoes, halved
- 1 zucchini, roughly chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 whole garlic head, outside layers peeled, top trimmed
- 1 red bell pepper, halved
Other Ingredients
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (plus additional as needed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil, for garnish
- Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for roasting the vegetables.
- Prepare the garlic: Trim the top off the garlic head and peel away the outer papery layer while keeping the cloves intact. This will allow the garlic to roast perfectly and become soft to squeeze out later.
- Arrange the vegetables: Place the carrots, roma tomatoes, zucchini, onion, whole garlic head, and red bell pepper on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper generously over the vegetables.
- Roast the vegetables: Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, stirring once about halfway through to ensure even cooking.
- Cook the pasta: While the vegetables roast, boil the rigatoni pasta according to package instructions. Reserve about 1.5 cups of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Blend the sauce: Let the roasted vegetables cool slightly. Then add them along with about 1 cup of reserved pasta water to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed to reach your desired sauce consistency. If your blender is small, blend in batches.
- Heat the sauce: Pour the blended sauce into a large saucepan or pot and warm it over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce, mixing thoroughly. Add additional reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and coat the pasta evenly.
- Serve: Plate the pasta and garnish with fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy your nutritious and flavorful hidden veggie pasta!
Notes
- Roasting the garlic whole allows it to mellow and adds a natural sweetness to the sauce.
- Reserve enough pasta water as the starch helps to bind and thicken the sauce.
- You can adjust the amount of pasta water used in blending and mixing to get a thinner or thicker sauce based on preference.
- This sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- For a vegan version, omit the Parmesan cheese or substitute with a plant-based alternative.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
