Ingredients
2 pints cherry tomatoes, stemmed
6 cloves garlic, left in their skins
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for liberal drizzling (about 1/2 cup), divided
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
2 small to medium firm zucchini, diced into small, bite-size pieces
1 small eggplant (3/4 pound), partially peeled and diced
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish
1 pound rigatoni with lines, regular or whole wheat
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, spread out the tomatoes and garlic cloves and dress with a couple of tablespoons EVOO, thyme, salt and pepper. On a separate sheet pan, arrange the zucchini, eggplant, pepper and onion. Dress with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 25-30 minutes, until charred and beginning to burst. Remove from the oven and separate the garlic from the tomatoes. When cool enough to touch, remove the skins from the garlic cloves. Roast the vegetables until brown at the edges and tender. When the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, reserving a cup of the starchy cooking water. Place the roasted tomatoes in a serving bowl while still hot and mash them with the garlic using a potato masher. Add the reserved starchy cooking water and adjust the salt and pepper, to taste. Toss with the pasta and vegetables. Top the pasta with an extra drizzle of EVOO, parsley and cheese. This is one of many "Yum-o!" recipes – it's good and good for you. To find out more about Yum-o!, Rachael's nonprofit organization, visit www.yum-o.org.