Roasted Summer Vegetables Two Ways: Dinner in Under 30 Minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 small eggplant
• 1 medium zucchini
• 400 g chopped tomatoes or tomato passata
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 mozzarella
• handful of fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon of capers or a handful of chopped olives
• 250–300 g of pasta
• Parmesan cheese for serving
• dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• a pinch of chili, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Slice the eggplant and zucchini into rounds about one centimeter thick. Save the larger, more uniform rounds for the baked version; you can cut the rest of the vegetables into smaller pieces and use them later in a pasta dish.
2. Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lightly brush them with olive oil, season with salt, and bake for about 15 minutes, until they begin to soften.
3. Meanwhile, briefly sauté the chopped garlic in a small amount of oil. Add the tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and a little chili if desired. Let the sauce simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the capers or chopped olives.
4. Baked Vegetable Slices: Spread tomato sauce on the pre-baked slices and top with mozzarella pieces. Return them to the oven for about 8–10 minutes, until the mozzarella melts. Garnish with fresh basil before serving. They make a great simple appetizer, a side dish for grilled meat, or part of a summer spread.
5. Quick Vegetable Pasta: Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Set aside some of the cooking water.
6. Cut the remaining roasted zucchini and eggplant into smaller pieces and add them to the tomato sauce. Stir in the cooked pasta and, if necessary, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to help everything come together.
7. Finally, add the remaining mozzarella or a few pieces torn from the already baked slices. Serve with fresh basil, Parmesan, and a little olive oil.