This is of my signature dishes.My hubby loves cherry tomatoes, but I was bored adding them in salads. So thought why not roast it in the oven and add in pasta. This is very easy and quick pasta recipe which I experimented for lunch and to my surprise it tasted awesome. It is basically roasting all the ingredients in the oven, cooking the pasta shells and mixing it.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb/box- whole wheat penne pasta
- 1 pound red cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 big onion- thinly sliced
- 1 bellpepper- thinly sliced
- 4-5 garlic
- 2 tablespoon -vinegar or ¼ cup red wine
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves /2 tsp- dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon -dried oregano leaves
- Grated parmesan cheese( optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tsp- olive oil
Directions
- Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.(as per directions on pasta box). Drain the pasta and return to pot.
- Simultaneously preheat the oven at 400-500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a baking dish, combine tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, garlic and oil. Season with salt , black pepper and crushed red pepper
- Roast until tomatoes are tender and juicy, stirring occasionally, about 10-20 minutes( depending on your oven).
- Toss the cooked pasta with the roasted veggies along with the red wine/vinegar.
- Sprinkle the basil leaves and oregano and cheese and its ready to be served.
Tip: You can add broccoli, olives, capers or carrots to make it more colorful and loaded with veggies.
Benefits of Tomatoes
- A large consumption of tomato can help improve skin texture and color.
- Tomato contain lycopene (the red pigment in tomato), this pigment is a powerful antioxidant that can also fight cancer cells.
- A single tomato can provide about 40% of daily vitamin C requirement.
- Tomato keeps the digestive system healthy by preventing both constipation and diarrhoea.
- Daily consumption of tomatoes reduces the risk of developing hypertension.
- Tomato is a good blood purifier.
My friends call me a total health freak as I always end up talking and advising others how to stay healthy. I love to cook and likewise eat healthy. This blog has all the tips you need to lose weight and recipes which helps you acheive that goal.