Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera

This is the best pasta primavera I have ever had.  It is packed with flavor and sweet tender veggies. I had 3rds...  yes, I am a glutton and disgusting.  But I could not help myself.  The pasta is an afterthought.  I could make a meal out of just the roasted veggies.  It was light and a wonderful summer meal!
I had so many fresh veggies that I had to use up.  I was not inspired, so I went on the Pioneer Woman's website and got inspired by a risotto primavera.  Seeing how I just did risotto, I knew that wasn't right.  But a pasta primavera, now that would work.  Normally you steam veggies for primavera and you get flavorless veggies with some flavorless pasta.  This is a spin-off of Giada's from the food network and it is so good.  Go, buy a boatload of veggies and do it up. If you don't like one of the veggies I did, change it up!  Asparagus, green onions and even cauliflower or yellow summer squash would be great in this!  Just roast them with the other veggies.

ROASTED VEGETABLE PASTA PRIMAVERA
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head garlic, roasted
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 5 med carrots, cut in long thin strips
• 1-2 zucchini squash cut into strips
• 1.5 cup broccoli florets, bite size
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
• 1 pint (about a cup) grape tomatoes, halved
• zest of one lemon (opt.)
• 1 lb pasta, coked in salted water
• 3-4  TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic glaze* to drizzle
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450.  Cut top of garlic bulb to expose the garlic cloves.  Place on small piece of foil and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Wrap foil around it and place in oven to roast for 45 min to an hour.
Meanwhile, cut and prepare all veggies except tomatoes.  Place veggies in a bowl and drizzle with EVOO to coat veggies.  Season with dried herbs and seasoning salt and toss to coat veggies evenly.  Place on cookie sheet (I used 2) in a single layer.  Place in oven to roast.  Put water on for pasta.

Veggies all ready to go in and get yummy!

 
After 10-15 minutes, remove from oven and carefully turn veggies.  (I condensed to one cookie sheet at this point)  Return to oven to bake another 10 minutes.  Cook your pasta to al dente.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
Cut grape tomatoes in half and toss with a little salt, pepper and olive oil.  Remove veggies from oven and put tomatoes on sheet with them and return to oven for 5 more minutes. (total about 25-30 minutes)  Remove from oven and sprinkle with zest of lemon.  This brightens the flavors.  Squeeze garlic cloves into pasta.
Toss veggies with pasta.  Add some pasta water and toss until pasta is moist again (can use more evoo here is desired, but trying to keep it figure friendly here)  Add parm cheese and toss again.  Serve with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and more cheese on top.

*Balsamic glaze is sold in a lot of stores now.  You can make your own by buying balsamic vinegar and letting it simmer for about 20 minutes on the stove until it gets a bit syrupy and is about half it's original volume. It will thicken more as it cools.  I used to do this when I could not buy it, but it is stinky to make, so I just buy it.