Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Olives from Nava Atlas

Wow! I'm overwhelmed by the number of people who left a comment in hopes of winning a copy of Vegan Express! In all, there were 231 guesses, 67 of which were correct. Congratulations to those of you who recognized my style (or possibly the serving dish, which has appeared here before holding Spicy Grapefruit Coleslaw). There were so many responses that I feel bad that I'm offering only one book, but don't despair if you didn't win; I'll be holding other contests as the publication date nears, so you may win a copy yet.

The answer, if you haven't guessed it from the title above, was the pasta dish. Though I also photographed the chocolate cake (which had the most amazing frosting), my photo of it is in the book but not on the cover. You'll have to buy (or win!) the book in order to get the recipes for the cake and kababs.

It took a while to copy all the names of the 67 correct guessers to paper, cut them apart, and fold them up. Here to announce the winner of the free book is my daughter E, who helped with the folding and picked the winning ballot:



Congratulations to Linda! I'll be pre-ordering your book as soon as you send me your address.

But here's a special treat for everyone: Nava has graciously allowed me to post the full photo of the pasta dish as well as the recipe. Though I loved all of the recipes I made from the book, this one was one of my favorites (note the eggplant and Kalamata olives--two ingredients I love). I used a light colored spelt pasta, which was absolutely delicious, but rice pasta would make a great gluten-free substitute. I hope you enjoy this preview of the book!



Whole Wheat Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and Olives
6 servings
From the forthcoming Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, NY)

This recipe may stretch out to 40 minutes or so, due to preheating and roasting, but it’s so yummy, I think it’s worth it. I hope you will, too.

8 to 10 ounces penne or spirals, preferably whole wheat or spelt
1 long, narrow Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see note)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
4 cups small broccoli florets (or one 16-ounce bag fresh precut florets)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/3 cup sliced oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons
of their oil reserved
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste, optional
Dried red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil the bottom of a large roasting pan.

2. Combine the eggplant and bell pepper in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with half of the oil, then stir together and transfer to the roasting pan.

3. Combine the broccoli, onion, and garlic in the same mixing bowl and drizzle with the remaining oil. Transfer to the roasting pan and gently mix with the other vegetables, then place in the heated oven.

4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook the pasta at a rapid simmer until al dente, then drain.

5. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until nicely but not overly browned. Remove from the oven, then transfer the vegetable mixture to a large pasta bowl.

6. Add the dried tomatoes, olives, parsley, and balsamic vinegar and stir together with the vegetables.

7. Add the cooked pasta to the vegetable mixture and toss together with the reserved oil from the dried tomatoes. Add balsamic vinegar to taste if desired, then season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Serve at once.

Calories: 310 Total fat: 13 g Protein: 9 g Carbohydrates: 43 g Fiber: 8 g Sodium: 300 mg
Note: Substitute 1 smallish eggplant, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick.

Menu suggestion:

Make a salad of mixed greens, red beans or chickpeas, pickled beets, and sliced carrots, dressed any way you prefer. Complete the meal with a crusty fresh whole grain bread.

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Just a reminder that Nava previously posted the recipe and photo for her Sweet and White Potato Salad with Mixed Greens, also from Vegan Express. Be sure to check it out if you missed it.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food