Summer Ratatouille Spaghetti

This spaghetti dish takes very little time to prepare and the results are wonderful. Light and nutritious, this recipe calls for zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and onions, although you can add eggplant and red pepper in the fall. I love the addition of lemon zest and juice. I served this to dear friends the other night and left out the red pepper flakes. One of my guests asked if she could grab a jar of red pepper flakes from my spice drawer and proceeded to add them directly to her pasta. The moral of the story is? Provide a jar of red pepper flakes for your guests to add on their own.

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini thinly sliced
• 1-pint cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 red onion thinly sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• red chili flakes to taste
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 1 lemon zested and juiced
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

•  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Add the first 8 ingredients to a sheet pan and toss to combine.
• Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes until caramelized, tossing halfway through.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook your spaghetti according to the package direction. Drain and set aside.
• Transfer all the roasted vegetables into a bowl with the cooked pasta. Toss to combine and add the lemon zest, juice, and plenty of parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.