Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Tomatoes and Basil (GF, Vt)

This is one of my favorite recipes right now, and I love the colours of the roasted vegetables just as much as I love the taste. I used brown rice spirals which are gluten-free, but if gluten-free pasta isn't your thing then you can use whatever pasta you like. You can also make it dairy-free and a bit less expensive if you don't use the parmesan cheese. You can also substitute whatever vegetables you like roasting, I like to use sweet potato (or kumara as it is called in New Zealand) because of it's high levels of beta carotene, which is converted in the body to Vitamin A. I also use pumpkin, zuchinni and red peppers. I would highly recommend using fresh basil if possible for this recipe, it really makes it extra good!

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients:
3 red bell peppers
1 1/2 medium sweet potatoes
2 1/4 cups of pumpkin
1 or 2 zuchinnis (courgettes)
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups (approx) pasta of your choice
3 medium tomatoes (I didn't use tomatoes in mine, but it bet they would be good!)
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 1/4 tablespoons dried
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degree Celsius.

2. Combine sweet potato and pumpkin in a roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until they start to become slightly soft.

3.Add the rest of the vegetables and garlic, and roast until they are tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, approximately 25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until tender but firm to bite. Drain the pasta and save 3/4 cup of the liquid.

5. Combine the pasta, roasted vegetables, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and the balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine (in my photo I have not combined the pasta with everything else, but I would recommend combining it all so the pasta gets the flavor of the balsamic vinegar). You can season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper, and add some reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten if needed.

6. Serve up the pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. I always like to make extra and take it for lunch the next day since it's really good to eat leftover as well.