Fall may be here, but that just makes a touch of the tropics more fun! From time to time, Chef Ryan brings a random surprise to the Community Kitchen volunteers for tasting. Last night, it was dragon fruit!
Of course, dinner itself was more seasonally appropriate:
cheesy baked pasta with onion, mushroom, and greens;
salad of roasted cabbage and brussels sprouts mixed with hardy fresh greens; and,
fruit platter served with honeyed whole yogurt with mint.
Wish you'd been there? We wish you were, too! Hearth & Table has served about 16-20 plates per week so far, but we have capacity to feed at least twice that. Don't miss out!
This week's featured recipe is the baked pasta, but keep scrolling to see some great tips on roasting different vegetables!
Easy baked veggie pasta
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 box dried pasta, any shape (shells, penne or similar shapes work well)
Olive oil
2 lbs veggies (any), roasted (*see roasted vegetable guide below*)
6-8 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz cheese (like mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, or a combination)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water (the water should taste like the ocean), boil the pasta almost all the way (cooking time on the box minus 2 to 3 minutes). Drain & toss with some olive oil to lightly coat.
3. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Cover if it’s browning too quickly. Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetable Guide – Oven usually at 400.
Cut vegetables bite-sized or a little smaller. Try to get them as uniform in size as possible. Most vegetables can be prepped in advance, though onions and garlic should be fresh. Toss each separately with oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl and put in a
single layer on a sheet pan. Cook veggies separately and combine at the end. Season with an interesting spice or spice blend and/or fresh herbs. Be sure to get some acidity in there as well... some lemon juice or a splash of vinegar. You can vary the seasoning with the same produce to get different dishes.
Cook for how long? The simple answer is to taste and check for doneness, but it helps to have a guide:
Potatoes: 35 min Onions: 25 min Mushrooms: 40 min
Zucchini: 15 min Broccoli: 15 min Tomatoes: 15 min
Cauliflower: 20 min Turnips: 25 min Kale/collard greens: 15 min
Asparagus: 7 min Fennel bulb: 20 min Cabbage: 25 min
Bell peppers: 12 min Winter squash: 30 min Brussels sprouts: 25 min
(Assume items are cut bite-sized or a little smaller, and oven is at 400 degrees. And oven door stays mostly closed.)