Eggplant, zucchini, sweet onions, and tomatoes all roasted together thicken by themselves to make a deeply flavored sauce for pasta. It’s a meal that’s ready in less than half an hour.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　1 eggplant, cut into 2-inch pieces

　　3 small zucchini, cut into 2-inch pieces

　　3 large garlic cloves, minced

　　1 large sweet onion, cut into 2-inch chunks

　　4 medium tomatoes, cored and left whole

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　Fresh or dried pasta, such as fettuccine, or small pasta, such as ziti or penne

　　1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

　　

Step 1

Position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced. Preheat the oven to convection roast at 450°F. Cover a large, rimmed pan with foil and coat with nonstick spray.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, zucchini, garlic, onion, and tomatoes and drizzle with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the vegetables on the prepared pan and roast in the center or top of the oven until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

　　

Step 3

With tongs, lift the skins off the tomatoes. Return the tomatoes to the pan with the vegetables and roast for 5 more minutes. Scoop the hot vegetables into a food processor or blender fitted with the steel blade. Process just until the vegetables are coarsely chopped and pour them into a serving bowl. You may need to do this in batches.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Put the pasta into a serving bowl and top it with the vegetable sauce. Serve with the Parmesan.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.