Roasted Marinara Pasta Primavera
Sautéed farmers’ market veggies get tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and a generous helping of roasted marinara sauce.
This Roasted Marinara Pasta Primavera is pretty much the definition of farmers’ market fresh. Every year I impatiently wait for the local farmers to make their debut at the handful of farmers’ markets in the surrounding Baltimore area. It seems like a handful of new markets pop up each year with a catalog of new vendors.
Every Saturday my mom and I set off with our market bags to make our rounds, joining the crowd of other locals looking to gather fresh ingredients. It’s such a pleasure seeing so many other people support local agriculture and small business owners.
Tomatoes are my absolute favorite summer bounty. I begin craving the vibrant red fruit as soon as the weather breaks and the warm air begins to tease us with its presence. Once July rolls in, we’re finally compensated for our patience with more fresh tomatoes than we know what to do with.
I get so excited for their arrival, that most of the juicy red grape tomatoes I pluck from my garden go straight in my mouth–one in the basket and one in my mouth, and so on and so forth. I like to save the larger tomatoes for salad, tomato sandwiches, and, my favorite, fresh marinara sauce.
I wanted to put a spin on the classic marinara sauce I usually make, so I decided to roast the marinara ingredients until they wilted and charred ever so slightly. The flavors concentrate as the veggies roast, creating a rich, slightly sweet marinara sauce bursting with the fresh flavors of summer bounty.
I realize all pasta pretty much tastes the same, but it’s the shape that really counts. I decided to go with a tube-shaped pasta for this recipe to suck up all the delicious marinara sauce, so I went with Barilla Rigatoni. The sauce sticks to the outer ridges of the noodles and squeezes its way into their hollow centers, creating a pocket of sauce that bursts out with every bite.
Barilla has been making pasta for over 135 years. Their pasta is made from simple, wholesome ingredients–just wheat and water–and is exceptionally healthy when paired with the right ingredients.
To boost the nutritional value of this recipe, I turned this dish into primavera pasta by adding lots of fresh farmers’ market veggies. It’s a meal you can feel good about eating.
For more recipe inspiration and information about Barilla pasta, visit them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Roasted Marinara Pasta Primavera
Sautéed farmers’ market veggies get tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and a generous helping of roasted marinara sauce.
Ingredients:
Roasted Marinara:
- 2 pounds tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
- 1 green pepper, cut into large chunks
- 2 cloves un-peeled garlic
- 1 carrot, cut into large chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Primavera Pasta:
- 8 ounces uncooked Barilla Rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chopped squash
- 1 cup chopped zucchini
- 1 cup chopped broccoli
- 1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 cup chopped onion
- salt and pepper
- Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Directions:
Roasted Marinara:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with olive oil.
- Place the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, carrot, and garlic on the prepared sheet pan, grouping each ingredient together separately. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the tomato wedges are wilted and the onion and green pepper are slightly charred. Allow the ingredients to cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
- Remove the garlic from its peel and place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Add the parmesan cheese and give the mixture a few pulses to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently pulse in the basil and parsley.
Pasta Primavera:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with a few generous pinches of kosher salt. Stir in the pasta. Allow it to cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped veggies and red pepper flakes to the skillet (refrain from salting until the end). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are tender and slightly brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the prepared marinara and cook to heat through, about 2 minutes. Toss in the pasta. Serve with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barilla. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting my site as I work with brands I adore.