Pasta with vegetables in olive oil & tomato-based sauce

Step 1/9

• ¼ onion
• 1 cloves garlic
• ½ eggplants
• 1 carrots
• 1 green zucchini
• ½ red bell peppers
• 62½ g brown mushrooms

• knife

Mince garlic and onion. Dice the eggplant and bell peppers into 1.5cm cubes. Chop the carrots and zucchini into 1.5cm-thick slices. Dice the mushrooms into quarters.

Step 2/9

• 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil

• saucepan

Add a generous amount of the olive oil to a saucepan on medium heat to coat the bottom, reserving the rest. Cook the garlic for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the onions and cook for about 3 minutes, or until softened.

Step 3/9

Add the eggplant and cook for about 10 minutes or until softened and starting to break down.

Step 4/9

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 200 ml tomato purée (passata)

Add the tomato passata to the saucepan with onions and garlic, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add the oregano. Bring to the boil, and then turn to low heat, letting the passata simmer.

Step 5/9

Add the eggplant, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers and mushroom to the saucepan, and cook, stirring, until softened. Continuously add the rest of the olive oil. Continue to let the sauce simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the passata is reduced and its water content has evaporated.

Step 6/9

• 25 g peas
• 250 g penne

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil and add salt. Add penne and cook until al dente. One minute before the pasta is due to be finished, add the peas and bring back to the boil. Cook for a minute or until peas are just cooked, at the stage where they just burst when bitten.

Step 7/9

• 25 g spinach

Meanwhile, add spinach to the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes or until just wilted.

Step 8/9

Drain the pasta and peas, and return back to the pot. Pour the passata and vegetables from the saucepan into the pot. Toss everything until evenly combined, and the passata has emulsified with the olive oil, and the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.

Step 9/9

• vegan cheddar cheese

Serve with cheese, if desired, or drizzled with extra olive oil, if desired.

Enjoy your meal!