A deliciously creamy roasted vegetable pasta bake with mediterranean veggies including onions, aubergine, courgette and pepper.
Everybody loves pasta
Pasta is definitely at the top of my list when it comes to carbohydrates and it is not difficult to see why. It is versatile and can be paired with so many different tasty sauces. Plus, it can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In this recipe, I have used tagliatelle, but you can use whatever pasta you prefer. Please do note that you will need to pay attention to the cooking time. Larger or thicker shapes will take longer to cook.
I first put together this roasted vegetable dish whilst cooking for a group of non-vegetarians, so I wanted something hearty and tasty so they would enjoy a meat-free meal. Some people believe vegetarian food is all about salads, soups, and goats cheese tarts but it is so much more than that. When I first made the decision to go meat-free, I learnt how to properly cook and flavour vegetables. This is why I think the roasted vegetables in this dish are perfect for ensuring a tasty dish for those new to vegetarian cuisine.
Creamy Pasta Sauce
I love how creamy this roasted vegetable dish is without actual cream. The creaminess comes from a vegan béchamel sauce. This of course can be swapped out for a traditional béchamel. I included a vegan version because I wanted to show that’s its just as easy to make and it tastes just as good!
Don’t Panic
Every single time I make a béchamel sauce, I think I’ve either added too much flour or too much milk or I’ve almost burnt the flour or not put in enough oil. Every single time, it turns out just fine! If your sauce doesn’t seem to be going to plan just be patient and keep stirring. If its too runny, add flour. Too thick? Add more milk. I promise that if you just keep going, the sauce will turn out fine!
To start your sauce, you simply heat an oil in a saucepan. Then add some flour to create a thick paste. Then you need to stir in some milk. Keep on the heat and keep stirring until there are no lumps. Add some seasoning and et voila. So simple. In this recipe, we are also adding a soft cheese to melt into the sauce to give more of a creamy texture, as well as adding a more indulgent flavour.
How to Prepare the Vegetables
Whilst this may seem like a creamy indulgent dish, it also contains a good number of vegetables as well. The vegetables add a lot of nutrition and the variety we have, results in a range of textures and flavours that blend together beautifully.
The roasted vegetables in the recipe add another layer to this dish, especially when flavoured well. Any of the vegetables can be swapped out if you have a preference. Or if you have any specific vegetables leftover in the fridge that need eating! I recommending using softer vegetables that don’t take too long to roast in the oven.
Salting the vegetables
In the recipe, I have included aubergine (also known as eggplant) and courgette (also known as zucchini) and I recommend drying out both of these vegetables using salt before roasting.
This is a relatively simple and quick process that will allow us to remove the water held within the fleshy cells. By removing the water, we prevent the vegetables watering down the thick creamy sauce and also improve their texture immensely. Most of the time when I cook with aubergine, I tend to use salt to dry it out as it makes the texture so much easier to work with and less ‘spongey’.
There are a couple of ways in which we can do this, I think the most efficient way is to slice into thin chunks and generously salt each side. These slices can then be placed into a colander with a piece of kitchen paper on top. Then add a heavy dish or bowl on the top to help squeeze out the water. Alternatively, you could place the salted vegetables onto some kitchen paper and place more kitchen paper on top with the option to again add a heavy weight. The longer you leave them, the more water will be removed which is why this is listed as the first step in the recipe.
As you can see in the photos, I placed the aubergine and courgette into a colander and then weighed them down with a dish on top. I then placed the colander onto the draining board where it collected the water.
Good Sides for a Roasted Vegetable Pasta
As this is quite an indulgent dish, it would go very nicely with a fresh and vibrant side salad. Try out my quick and easy red cabbage recipe that adds a great crunchy texture and fresh taste. Alternatively, if you want to make it even more indulgent, try out my crunchy and buttery garlic bread recipe. Can’t decide? Why not try both!
Roasted Vegetable Tagliatelle Bake
Ingredients
- 300 g Tagliatelle
- 2 Large Onions
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- ½ Small Leek
- ½ Aubergine / Eggplant
- ½ Courgette / Zucchini
- ½ Cup Spinach
- 100 g Mushrooms
- 1.5 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 2 tbsp Plain Flour (You may need extra if you need to thicken your sauce)
- 450 ml Unsweetened Oat Milk (or any milk / milk alternative of your choice)
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tbsp Soft Cheese (I used Philadelphia)
- 3 tsp Vegetarian Red Pesto
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
- Fresh Basil
- 75 g Grated Cheddar
- Salt
- Ground Pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180° C.
- Slice the aubergine and courgette and generously salt all over. Place these slices into a colander over a sink or draining board. Place a piece of kitchen paper on top of the vegetables and heavy dish or bowl on top. This step is to remove any excess water.
- Dice the onion, place in a large oven proof dish with the olive oil, diced pepper and slice leek.
- Add the tomato puree, oregano and turmeric and mix well, place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the aubergine and courgette, wipe off any excess water and dice in small cubes. Add these to the dish, along with the pesto and a small handful of the fresh chopped basil. Mix well and place back in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Whilst the vegetables are in the oven, melt the coconut on low-medium heat in a saucepan. Once melted, gradually add the flour and stir continuously to form a paste.
- Gradually add the milk and keep stirring until you have a white sauce. If you need to thicken, add more flour and continue to stir to remove any lumps. Add nutmeg and bay leaf and leave to simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- In a separate saucepan, bring some water to the boil.
- Add Philadelphia to the sauce and stir until melted and mixed evenly. Season generously with salt and pepper, simmer for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the tagliatelle to the boiling water and cook until softened.
- Remove the dish from the oven and remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Add the tagliatelle, mushrooms, spinach and sauce to the dish. Mix gently and sprinkle over the cheese. This can be baked from another 25-30 minutes.
- Garnish with some more fresh basil. Best served hot with a side salad and / or garlic bread.
