Rotini & Veggie Skillet

I got this recipe from a Barilla Pasta box.  Luckily, I had most of the veggies on hand.  I made some substitutions:  I skipped the onion and yellow squash and used diced tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes.  It was delicious!

Rotini and Veggie Skillet
Prep time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

1 box Rotini pasta
4 Tbsp Olive oil
1 small Onion, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Bell pepper, chopped
1 medium Zucchini, diced
1 medium Yellow squash, diced
1 bunch Asparagus, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 leaves Basil, torn

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion for 3-4 minutes until translucent.

3. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus and saute for 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes; season with salt and pepper and saute for 2 more minutes. 

6. Drain pasta and toss with the sauce and basil.

Roasted Ratatouille

This roasted dish is definitely prettier than the other Ratatouille recipe, but we did not like it as much as the stove-top version.  My husband liked the red pepper flakes in this one, though.

Roasted Ratatouille

1 lb eggplant, diced and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, quartered
1/2 lb zucchini, diced into 1/2" cubes
1/2 lb yellow squash, diced into 1/2" cubes
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or hot sauce (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and set aside in a colander to drain for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse, drain, and pat dry.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Saute the onion and garlic about 5 minutes (do not brown).  Add the bell pepper and continue to saute for another 5 minutes. 

4. Add the tomatoes and smash a bit with a spoon.  Stir in the diced eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes, if desired.  Transfer the mixture to a baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, until the vegetables are browned just a bit on the edges.  Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is from "The Cleaner Plate Club" cookbook: The Cleaner Plate Club: Raising Healthy Eaters One Meal at a Time.  I am encouraged by the concept of the book...cooking whole foods that the whole family can enjoy.  This was my second attempt at making a meal from the cookbook (first was a moderately good cucumber salad recipe), and I am hopeful that we will enjoy more of the recipes.