Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables Recipe

Roast vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

2. On a half-sheet pan or other large, rimmed baking sheet, combine the diced zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper and onion. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until the vegetables are evenly coated.

3. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are cooked through and golden.

Pasta:

1. Bring a large post of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup pasta cooking water. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl.

Pesto:

1. Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges.

2. In the bowl of a food processor or a blender might work, too, combine the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, the basil, toasted almonds, garlic, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

3. Blend, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the contents are mixed together and roughly uniform. Drizzle in the olive oil while running the machine and blend until a relatively smooth, pesto-like consistency is reached. If adding Parmesan, stir it into the pesto now. Taste and stir in additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

4. Pour the pesto into the warm pasta and drizzle in ¼ cup reserved cooking water. Toss to combine, adding more splashes of cooking water to thin as necessary. Toss in the roasted vegetables.

5. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh basil and serve.