What's For Dinner: Tapanade Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

The other day whilst at a hair salon in Fort Collins, I opted to page through the July issue of Bon Appetit magazine rather than pick up one of the many gossip rags laying around. The following recipe for a pasta salad was the first to catch my eye. Following my hair appointment, I took a quick spin around the aisles of Whole Foods to pick up the ingredients I didn't have on hand at home, and tonight I put the dish together. Though touted as a "side dish," I think this dish is much better suited as an entree. I was hungry and thus ate it soon after putting it together, however, I will be enjoying the leftovers as a chilled dish. Though the original recipe only calls for fresh cherry tomatoes, I decided to amp up the veggies by adding in some zucchini and yellow squash that D and I picked up at the Laramie farmers' market. I also opted to roast the veggies to intensify the flavors.

Tapanade Pasta with Roasted Vegetables (printer-friendly version)

makes 4 servings

For the tapanade:

1 clove garlic, peeled

3 cups green olives, roughly chopped (one 6 oz can will do)

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Place the garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and chop.

2. Add 2 cups green olives, capers, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper to the food processor. Pulse 6 times to roughly chop the ingredients.

3. Slowly pour in the olive oil until a coarse puree forms.

4. Place the tapenade into a small container with a lid and stir in the remaining one cup of olives.

5. Cover and place in the refrigerator.

For the roasted tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash:

1 medium zucchini, rinsed and dried

1 medium yellow squash, rinsed and dried

12 cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette

1 teaspoon dried oregano

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut the ends off the zucchini and squash and then chop into 1/2" rounds. Place into a large bowl.

3. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl.

4. Add in the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette; stir gently to combine.

5. Add in the oregano and season with salt and pepper.

6. Pour the veggies into a 9"x13" glass baking dish. Make sure all the tomatoes are placed cut-side up in the dish.

7. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Flip the zucchini and squash midway through the cooking time.

8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To Put it All Together:

8 oz pasta (I used penne)

fine sea salt

8 fresh mozzarella balls

olive oil

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in a pinch of sea salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, cut the fresh mozzarella into quarters. Set aside.

3. When the pasta is finished cooking, remove from the water and drain. Place the drained pasta in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the pasta, and stir to combine. Allow the pasta to cool, stirring occasionally.

4. Add in the roasted vegetables to the pasta; stir to combine. Stir in about 3 tablespoons of the olive tapenade. Add in the mozzarella and gently toss to combine all the ingredients.

5. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

(adapted from this recipe in Bon Appetit)