Melted Veggie Pasta

I love the challenge of creating a meal out of whatever's in my fridge and pantry. Let's see... pasta, chicken, and a ton of tomatoes....hmmm. Using a red or white sauce seems too easy. So here is the challenge: Can I create a pasta dish full of flavor without using a sauce?

I recently came across a recipe called Melted Tomatoes which consists of slow roasting tomatoes with olive oil and herbs. I thought this would be perfect to toss with my pasta! Because no food creation of mine is ever simple, I added a few more ingredients for extra color and flavor. I'm happy to say it was a hit with my hog (a.k.a. Drew)! Slow roasting the veggies with red wine vinegar and oil brought out a mouth watering sweetness that went perfectly with the cheese, which prevented the pasta from being dry despite it's lack of sauce.


Bon Appétit,
Alex

I apologize now because when it comes to cooking, I rarely measure. Everything is based on preference and what seems "about right". For those who like to be precise, I will do my best to guesstimate how much of each ingredient was used.

Ingredients (this ended up making about 3 servings):

• 1 handful spaghetti pasta ( I used whole wheat) 
• 1 1/2 cups sliced chicken breast
• 6 small tomatoes, sliced into wedges
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 handfuls peeled garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cup shredded cheese (whatever kind you prefer)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil plus more for garnish
• 1 pinch grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Open a window (I never knew, until Drew enlightened me, that gas is the silent killer)
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 
3. Place veggies and garlic in a large casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Bake for 11/2-2hrs or until veggies are nicely browned and slightly shriveled around the edges.
5. About 12 minutes before veggies are done, boil pasta according to directions. Once drained, place back in pot. 
6. Add veggies (allowing all of the juice to drain into the pot), chicken, shredded cheese, and basil. If you so desire, add more salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
7. Serve with parmesan cheese and basil for garnish.

For those watching their waistlines...

Melted Veggie Salad 
I realize that I didn't include a dressing, but the juice and oil from the melted veggies combined with the feta cheese adds enough flavor to not need any.

P.S. I was so hungry after making both of these meals, I forgot to take a picture... sorry!

Ingredients (measurements should be based on serving size): 

• melted veggies 
• fresh spinach 
• fresh chopped basil 
• chopped chicken breast 
• red onion, thinly sliced 
• pine nuts 
• feta cheese 

Directions:

1. Combine spinach, basil, pine nuts, and onion
2. Top with melted veggies, chicken, and feta cheese