Roasted summer vegetable pasta with halloumi is a gorgeous, yet incredibly easy, dinner that makes the most of all those summer vegetables. It includes pasta and a chewy, salty cheese to make it appealing to everyone. And it’s easily modified to use whatever veggies you have on hand or that you like the most. Just in time for #LCHumpDayPasta.
Adapted from Olivia Bleitz | Personal collection, 2021
Somewhat controversial opinion–I like a higher ratio of vegetable to pasta in just about any dish. My dining companion (a.k.a. my spouse) doesn’t necessarily agree, and this infinitely riff-able roasted summer vegetable pasta with halloumi is a perfect compromise. I can load up the baking dish with all the color and variety that I crave and he can fill his plate with mostly penne, taking only the vegetables that he desires. If you haven’t had halloumi–the squeaky, meaty, salty cheese–it prevents this vegetarian dish from being too virtuous.–Olivia Bleitz
WHAT IS LC HUMP DAY PASTA?
We’re glad you asked. LC Hump Day Pasta (#LCHumpDayPasta) is a little something we cooked up to help you on the night of the week that you feel least like cooking. Wednesday was traditionally Prince Spaghetti Day (for those of you old enough to remember). We’ve revamped and updated that to Hump Day and included every type of pasta there is.
Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta with Halloumi
This delicious roasted vegetable pasta dish makes short work of your farmer’s market haul or will perk up some sad November tomatoes if that’s the situation you find yourself in.
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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Prepare your vegetables. Halve any tomatoes that are larger than bite-size, chop broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces, no larger than 1 inch (25 mm), cut zucchini in half lengthwise then into 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick half-moons, and peel, smash, and roughly chop the garlic.
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In a large baking dish or roasting pan, combine the vegetables and halloumi. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, if using. Toss to combine, then spread in an even layer.
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Roast vegetables and cheese, tossing once, until the vegetables and cheese begin to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
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Pour drained pasta into the baking dish, slowly add up to a 1/2 cup of the cooking water, tossing vegetables until everything is glossy.
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Stir in lemon zest and juice, serve topped with chopped herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
*What is halloumi?
If you’ve never had halloumi, then you’re in for a superb treat. From the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, halloumi is sheep or goat’s milk cheese (sometimes a mixture of the two). Like marshmallows, halloumi is pretty good right out of the package but when toasted, it achieves another level of tastiness entirely.
It’s a chewy, salty, and rubbery cheese to begin with but when grilled or toasted, it becomes crisp on the outside and soft and melty on the inside. Part of the charm of halloumi is that it stays intact when heated, rather than oozing all over. It’s a great addition to meat-free dishes because it provides some of that missing “meaty” texture.
If you can’t find it, you can sub another cheese with a high melting point like queso fresco, feta, cheese curds, or paneer.
Serving: 1servingCalories: 582kcal (29%)Carbohydrates: 70g (23%)Protein: 25g (50%)Fat: 22g (34%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 994mg (43%)Potassium: 481mg (14%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 934IU (19%)Vitamin C: 33mg (40%)Calcium: 608mg (61%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
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Originally published August 25, 2021
Recipe © Olivia Bleitz. © 2021 All rights reserved. All materials used with permission.
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