Roasted Vegetable Summer Pasta

Sometimes I wonder whether I can post this sort of recipe. There's nothing fancy about this dish - it doesn't take  an age in the kitchen nor does it require expensive ingredients or difficult techniques. Still, it's what we eat on a regular basis and if some of you are feeling a little tired with your same-old, same-old dinners, then give this a go.

I'm continuing with the Italian theme here. We eat pasta regularly once a week, with vegetables, bacon and pesto. It's not even fresh pesto, either! However, I don't let that make me feel guilty - we've all got better things to do in a working week than make pesto from scratch. Our favourite is the Sacla range - just the right consistency and depth of flavour.

In this dish, sweet peppers are roasted and combined with gently steamed broccoli, crispy bacon and al dente pasta. Fusili is a staple in our house - white or wholewheat, whatever we have in the cupboards! The wholewheat pasta takes slightly longer to cook but has a pleasant nuttiness that makes a nice change from the ordinary white. One thing, though - do not overcook the pasta! Nothing is worse than a soggy bowl of limp white pasta shapes. 

Chop the peppers - pretty colours!

Roast them with a little oil and seasoning. 

Cook the broccoli.

Combine vegetables with fried bacon and pasta. Add toasted pine nuts too if you have them!

Serve and admire the flavours and colours of the vegetables. 

How about a little pesto and Parmesan?

Eat it tomorrow for lunch if there's any left. 

Roasted Vegetable Summer Pasta (serves 4)
4 sweet peppers of various colours (red and yellow are the best)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
One head of broccoli
4 or 5 strips of streaky bacon
3-4 cups of wholewheat pasta
Red pesto, fresh or from a jar
Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Handful of pine nuts (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 150°C.Chop the peppers into chunks. Put them in a tray and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper until well covered. PLace in the oven and roast for about an hour, shaking the pan halfway through. 

2. Steam the broccoli and fry the bacon. Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente. (Wholewheat pastas takes longer to cook than white pasta!)

3. Drain the pasta and remove the peppers from the oven. Toast the pine nuts in the bacon pan, if using. 

4. Combine everything together. Serve with red pesto and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.