This recipe only uses one pot for an easy week night meal, and the flavors are perfect for fall!
One of the best things about fall is the cooler weather. Cool weather makes me want to cook! Cooking is definitely one of my hobbies, so to come full circle, fall is a favorite season of mine because I get to really enjoy my very favorite hobby. In the summer, we grill tons and I make cold salads, but fall is the time for warm, hearty food. I'm not talking high calorie, I mean warm, filling and nutritious. Which is exactly what this roasted root vegetable one pot pasta is!
Did you know that root vegetables are some of the most nutritious plants you can eat? Since they're grown fully in the soil (thus the "root" part) they absorb all of the minerals and nutrients from the dirt. They're packed with vitamins A, B and C, antioxidants and iron. When you eat them, they go straight into your belly.
Some are more nutritious than others - for example, a sweet potato has more nutrients than a white potato - and I've put my favorite ones in this one pot recipe for you. This meal is perfect for a mid-week night dinner because the bulk of the work is in chopping the veggies, and you only have one pot to clean at the end of the night. Start to finish, it's ready in under 45 minutes. And bonus! You'll have to open some wine to make it, so you can enjoy a glass and relax while you wait for it to cook.
Roasted Root Vegetable One Pot Pasta
- 1 bunch carrots (I used multi-colored with the stems on for prettier pictures - no need to be so fancy! You can even used the peeled and chopped "snack carrots" if that's what you've got)
- 2 turnips
- 2 rutabagas (anyone else think that word is super fun to say?)
- 1 medium sized onion
- 3 gloves fresh chopped garlic
- 1 medium sized onion
- 3 gloves fresh chopped garlic
- 1 32 box of vegetable or chicken broth
- 4 to 6oz dry white wine
- 6oz water
- 1 box whole wheat pasta (the whole wheat holds up better in "one pot" pasta dishes)
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup Asiago cheese (plus more to sprinkle on your plate before serving)
- 1/2 cup half n' half
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Peel and chop your root veggies into bite sized pieces. In a large dutch oven (this is my MOST USED pan in the house! Invest in a good one like this
or this
and you won't be disappointed) heat the olive oil. Add the root veggies, stirring occasionally, and cook for about 7 minutes, or just barely turning tender.
Add the bay leaves, sage, thyme and brown sugar, and garlic. Stir to coat the veggies. Add salt to taste, but be careful not to over-salt, as there's plenty of salt in the stock and Asiago cheese you'll be adding later! De-glaze the pan (fancy word for adding liquid while the pan is still on high heat) with the white wine. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the stock, water and pasta.
Cook covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the liquid and adjust the salt if needed. Once the pasta is al dente, add the cheese and half and half. There should be enough liquid for a thick sauce to cover the pasta and veggies, but not be "soupy."
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Serve warm and top with more cheese as desired. Enjoy, especially with the remaining bottle of wine and knowing you only have one pan to clean! There's enough to serve four adults with leftovers, and this dish re-heats wonderfully. You can also freeze the leftovers and reheat later. The whole wheat pasta and root vegetables can hold up to freezing without getting mushy or gross.