Spice up your pasta game with this Harissa Roasted Vegetable Pasta. Vegetables roasted in harissa, tossed in pasta and creamy goat's cheese to make a deliciously creamy pasta. Great for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
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It's really easy to fall into a pasta rut, isn't it? Well, we were in that very rut until I decided to change it up. Since going veggie we have tried a lot of pasta dishes, and as much as I love the classics like veggie bolognese and veggie lasagne, sometimes I just want something different, something quick, with a kick. And that's where the inspiration for this roasted vegetable pasta came from.
If your family is anything like ours then weeknight dinners that are easy and fairly quick to make are always a winner. And if these dinners are full-on tasty then you're hitting the jackpot! Pasta is always on a weekly rotation for us. My daughter has loved it since she started solid foods! I'm pretty fond of it myself. So this roasted vegetable pasta dish fulfils the weeknight brief. Quick, easy and very tasty. Let's get stuck in!
📝 What Do You Need?
- Pasta - You can use almost any type of short pasta you want here, I use rigatoni but penne, fusili or ziti all work really well. I love the ridges on rigatoni as it helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Vegetables - I use red onions, peppers, courgette (zucchini) and aubergine (eggplant) for this recipe but this is a very versatile dish! You can switch up the veggies according to what you have. Butternut squash, pumpkin, broccoli, mushrooms or leeks will all work in this recipe.
- Harissa - Harissa is a hot, aromatic paste made from chilli, spices and herbs. It is a spicy and fragrant paste widely used in North African and Middle Eastern cuisines as a condiment, it is often mixed with water or tomato juice to flavour stews, soups or couscous. A little goes a long way with harissa as it can be quite strong! You should find it in most larger supermarkets in the herb and spices section or the world foods sections.
- Cheese - I use a soft goat's cheese for this recipe, you could also use feta if you like. The reason I use soft cheese is that it will melt quickly from the heat of the pasta and vegetables.
🔪 How To Make It
This is just a quick visual guide please see the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient list.
1. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F) Roast the onion and aubergine (eggplant) for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix the harissa in olive oil to make a sauce.
3. Remove the tray from the oven then add the remaining vegetables. Pour the harissa over the veggies and mix well. Add the garlic and thyme then return to the oven and cook until the veggies are tender. Meanwhile, cook the pasta.
4. Remove the thyme then tip the cooked veggies into a large serving dish. Squeeze out the garlic from the bulb then add to the veggies. Add the pasta plus a little pasta water to the veggies. Now add the goat's cheese and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately topped with chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts.
👩🍳 Pro Tips
- Pasta - Cook the pasta to just al dente, it will continue cooking when you add it to the vegetables.
- Pasta Water - Don't forget to save some pasta water when you drain the pasta. I add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water when I add the pasta to the veggies, this helps turn the goat's cheese and harissa into a lovely creamy cheesy sauce.
- Lemon - A squeeze of lemon added to this dish before you serve it really livens up the veggies. I add half a lemon's worth!
🍽 How To Serve It
I serve this topped with some toasted pine nuts which adds a lovely toasty flavour to this dish. This dish is filling and perfect as a main dish but if you wanted to serve an appetizer before you serve this up then my crispy breaded garlic mushrooms would be perfect!
Yes, you can. I reheat this by adding the leftovers to a saucepan then adding a little water to the pasta and vegetables to loosen it all up. Stir it often then serve once piping hot.
I don't recommend freezing this dish, but leftovers can be reheated and should be used within two to three days.
Yes, you can make this vegan by omitting the goat's cheese.
Harissa Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion loose peel removed and cut into wedges (⅛'s)
- 1 medium aubergine (eggplant) cut into medium bite size chunks
- 1 medium red bell pepper pith and seeds removed then cut into chunks
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper pith and seeds removed then cut into chunks
- 2 medium courgettes (zucchini) cut into thick slices or chunks
- 1 small bulb of garlic cut in half widthways
- 2 tablespoon harissa
- 3 + ¼ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- The juice of half a lemon
- 125 g ( 1 x 4oz log) of soft goat's cheese
- 300 g (3 ½ cups) rigatoni pasta (dry weight)
- A small handful of parsley finely chopped + more for serving
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, 200°C conventional oven (355°F fan or 390°F conventional oven)
- Place the onion and aubergine in a baking tray, drizzle a ¼ tablespoon of olive oil over them then bake in the oven for 5 minutes.In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of harissa with 3 tablespoons of olive oil together until they are combined. Take the tray out of the oven add the remaining vegetables. Pour the harissa and oil mixture over the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.Add the thyme and garlic. Drizzle a little oil over the garlic then pop the tray back in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes turning the tray halfway through cooking. Cook until the veggies are tender.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instruction minus a minute or two. You want the pasta to be just al dente.Once the pasta is done, reserve two tablespoons of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- When the vegetables are cooked, remove the garlic from its skin, discard the skins and any stalks left from the thyme.Squeeze half a lemon over the vegetables then transfer to a large serving dish.
- Tip the pasta onto the vegetables along with the pasta water. Crumble the goat's cheese over the pasta and toss everything together until you have a creamy sauce coating the pasta.Check the seasoning before serving, add more salt and pepper if needed.Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the pasta.Serve immediately with toasted pine nuts and some grated pecorino or parmesan cheese if you like.
Notes
- Pasta - You can use almost any type of short pasta you want here, I use rigatoni but penne or fusilli all work well.
- Vegetables - I use red onions, peppers, courgette (zucchini) and aubergine (eggplant) for this recipe but this is a very versatile dish! You can switch up the veggies according to what you have. Butternut squash, pumpkin, broccoli, mushrooms or leeks will all work in this recipe.
- Harissa - You should find it in most larger supermarkets in the herb and spices section or in the world foods section.
- Cheese - I use a soft goat's cheese for this recipe, you could also use feta if you like. The reason I use soft cheese is that it will melt quickly from the heat of the pasta and vegetables.
- Storing/Reheating/Freezing - Any leftovers can be stored once cooled in the fridge and should be used with 2 - 3 days. I reheat this by adding the leftovers to a saucepan then adding a little water to the pasta and vegetables to loosen it all up. Stir it often then serve once piping hot. I don't recommend freezing this dish.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool and is approximate. It is based on one serving of four and includes pine nuts.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for best results.
Nutrition
*First published January 2019, updated October 2021 with new photos, step by step guide nutritional information.
Ruchi
What a warming comforting dish! Made it for dinner last night and it was fantastic!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Ruchi, I'm so glad you liked it x
Natalie
Roasted veggies and pasta. That's like my two favorite things. I love the flavors in this recipe. Honestly, I can't wait to give it a try. Looks really delicious. ANd it's easy to make too. Perfect dinner.
Anne Lawton
I love this recipe and sounds like it is packed with flavor!
Elizabeth Leaver
Can you really go wrong with roasted veg and pasta? Never! I love the addition of goats cheese to make it a little more decadent, it sounds delicious.
Kiki Johnson
Oh, this could not come at a more perfect time. I made a batch of homemade harissa the other week and have been on the lookout for recipes that I can use it for! This one is perfect for Sunday dinner!
Marisa Franca
I saw this recipe earlier and last night I made it. The taste was amazing and we loved the goat cheese on top. We could eat this several times a week it is that good. Roasted vegetables are the best way to prepare veggies. Loved the recipe.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Marisa, I'm so glad you liked it Xx
Saima
All those veggies and the goat's cheese with the pasta! It looks like a winner for sure! And you're right about it being different from the usual pasta recipes.
Sherri
I just love easy pasta dishes like this! I am totally drooling over that pan of veggies! I love that this can be made vegan and gluten-free too! A perfect meal for our family! 🙂
Farwin
I love how you combined harissa with vegetables to add to a pasta dish! I would have never thought of that. It looks delicious. I need to buy a jar of harissa to try this out.
Tammy
Mmm this looks so good! What a colorful and vibrant pasta dish...perfect winter comfort food 🙂
Kelly Anthony
All of these flavors together sound insanely delicious! I love the combo of goat cheese, harissa, and ALLLLL those yummy veggies...on pasta! YUM!
Veena Azmanov
I Love roasting vegetables and adding harissa sounds like the perfect combination. Pasta is a great weekday meal for us. Can't wait to try this.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Veena, I hope you enjoy it x
kim
What a fabulous, flavorful dinner! I love how easy it comes together too!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Kim x
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Such a colourful dish and simple to do. This looks perfect for weeknights and delicious too!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Amanda x
Helen @ family-friends-food.com
This looks right up our street! We love roasted veg AND harissa so putting them together is bound to be a winner 😀
Michelle Alston
Thanks Helen x
Leslie
Your photos are mouthwatering. I can't wait to make this and give it the taste test!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Leslie! I hope you enjoy it x
Danielle Wolter
This sounds incredible! Love the idea of roasting the veggies in harissa then adding them to the pasta. I'll bet it has such a great flavor.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Danielle, yep it's full of flavour 😉
lola@cheflolaskitchen
Die hard pasta fan! And the addition of veggies is just a cherry on the cake! Surely trying this one Michelle.
Michelle Alston
Thanks Lola, I hope you enjoy it x