porcini tagliatelle with roasted veggies

when i think about dinner in the summer, i think roasted veggies, heaps of arugala, and fruit for dessert.  at least that's what we have going on in my house. 

during our usual sunday shopping at eastern market this past weekend, kasi picked out some super fresh porcini tagliatelle.  behind the glass, it was screaming for a roasted veggie medley with a mild sauce only consisting of light butter and olive oil:  the perfect summertime dinner.  this dish has just the right amount of comfort food to recharge your batteries from the busy weekend, and get you ready for a new week ahead.

porcini tagliatelle with roasted veggies

1/2 lb porcini tagliatelle
4 pieces of sliced zucchini
4 pieces of sliced squash
1/2 of a white onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
4 mushrooms
grape or cherry tomatos
fresh parsley
feta cheese
butter
olive oil
salt + pepper
rosemary

begin by boiling a pot of water {don't forget to add a little dash of salt to your water!}.  pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  spread your veggies out on 1-2 baking sheets {depending on the size of the baking sheet, just make sure they have enough room and aren't overlapping}.  drizzle with olive oil, salt + pepper, and rosemary.  pop them in the oven for 10 minutes {i prefer my veggies a little al dente, so i don't cook them for too long or else they get a little soft and soggy}. 

while the veggies roast and the water hasn't quite begun to boil, cut 6-8 grape tomatos in half.  chop fresh parsley {however much you prefer}, and fresh feta cheese {again, this is to your liking}.  set all of this aside for later, once the pasta is ready to be plated.

once the water is boiling, add your porcini tagliatelle and cook for 3 minutes.  when finished, strain the water and pasta out of your pot.  add the pasta back to the pot, along with your roasted veggies, a tablespoon of butter and a little drizzle of olive oil {you don't need too much olive oil because your roasted veggies will be drenched in them}.  add salt + pepper and mix altogether.  plate your pasta, add your parsley, tomatos and fresh feta, and serve.

for salads in the summer, i prefer large bowls of mesclun + arugala {and if i'm having a veggie-heavy entree, i only add a veggie or two.}  for this dish, i chopped up a few slices of fresh cucumber and uncooked broccoli.  i added salt + pepper, and a little olive oil and vinegar.  not only do i like light sauces in the summer, but i usually always eat my salads with only olive oil and vinegar, and not too much of it either.

+++ before the pasta is ready, i made sure to give myself a little time to chop my roasted veggies into smaller pieces once they were done roasting, just so they were easier to eat and toss in the pasta.