Creamy Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Olives and Capers Recipe

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:40

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion finely diced
3 cloves of garlic minced
4 anchovies optional
3 – 4 soft sundried tomatoes in oil finely chopped (optional)
1 tin 400 grams/14 oz of chopped peeled tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
1 Fairview block of White Rock with red onion semi-soft cream cheese infused with red onion
80 ml ⅓ cup fresh cream
¼ cup Kalamata olives you can leave the pips in or remove them
3 Tbsp baby capers optional, or regular capers, roughly chopped
Small handful of basil leaves to add right at the end

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and get a large roasting tray ready.
Cut the vegetables into even sizes and spread them across the baking sheet. Drizzle over the olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle over salt, pepper and the dried oregano and toss again to coat. Shake the pan to ensure the vegetables are evenly spaced and roast for around 30 – 35 minutes until starting to caramelise around the edges.
While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente, drain and set aside.
To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan, then add the red onion and sauté over a medium-low heat until soft, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute until fragrant. Add the anchovies and sundried tomatoes and cook for a further minute until everything is well incorporated into a paste.
Add the tin of tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, add the sugar and cook for about 20 minutes with the lid on.
Crumble the Fairview White Rock into the sauce and stir until melted. Add the cream, olives and capers and cook for a further 2 minutes.
When you are ready to serve, add the pasta to a bowl with the sauce and the roasted vegetables. Toss well to combine.
Serve with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano and scatter the basil leaves over the top.

The anchovies and sundried tomatoes are listed as optional, but they really do make the sauce special. Even if you think you don't like anchovies, they dissolve completely and just add a wonderful savoury depth.
Don't skip the sugar in the tomato sauce. It balances the acidity of the tinned tomatoes and rounds out the flavour.
If you can't find Fairview White Rock, substitute with about 60 grams (2 oz) of plain cream cheese or a mild, creamy goat's cheese.
Add the basil right at the very end, just before serving. It will go brown quickly if it sits in the heat.
This recipe scales up easily. For four servings, double everything and use two roasting trays for the vegetables.

Storage:
Keep leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. The sauce and vegetables store well together, but the pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits.
Reheating: Warm the pasta in a pan over a medium-low heat with a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce. Stir gently until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one. Add fresh basil after reheating, not before.
Freezing: This pasta does not freeze particularly well. The courgette and aubergine lose their texture once thawed. If you want to prep ahead, freeze the tomato sauce on its own for up to three months and make the roasted vegetables and pasta fresh when you are ready to serve.

Rigatoni is my first choice here because the sauce gets caught inside the tubes, but penne, fusilli or paccheri all work well.

Servings: 2