Nevada City School of the Arts received the School Food Professionals Award for this recipe. This dish is a vehicle for so many local ingredients to reach students in their lunch. The school had success taste testing vegetables lightly roasted in olive oil and simply seasoned with salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice. That flavor profile was perfect for the pasta and beans, too, and brought out the sweetness of the roasted eggplant.
Ingredients
- 2 16 oz cans cannellini beans
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 4 oz arugula
- 1 pint saladette tomatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 3 carrots, chopped into 1/4″ half moons
- 1 eggplant, cut into 1” cubes
- 1/2 bunch fresh basil
- 2 lbs whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Wash and drain all vegetables. Drain and rinse beans.
- Set up a large pot on stovetop and fill 2/3 with water. Set to boil.
- Separate vegetables by type onto a sheet tray and toss with olive oil, two pinches salt & pepper, and even portions of garlic. Roast, pulling each vegetable when it’s cooked (generally 10 minutes for fennel, 15 minutes for eggplant, 20 minutes carrots).
- Chop basil. When water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook 13-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta. Pour into desired serving dish.
- Toss pasta with lemon juice and ¼ cup olive oil. Add roasted veggies, beans, arugula, chopped tomatoes, and basil. Adjust seasoning to taste.