Whole Wheat Linguine with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto Sauce

Whole Wheat Linguine with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto SauceServes 4Pesto:1 cup fresh basil leaves2 generous tbs. toasted pine nuts2 generous tbs. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano2-3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil2 medium cloves garlicsalt and pepper to tastepasta cooking water, to thin to desired consistencyCombine the basil, pine nuts, cheese, olive oil and garlic in a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper. Add small amounts of the pasta cooking water and continue to blend until you have a thick, but pourable consistency.Pasta:10-12 roma tomatoes, halved and coredolive oilSalt and ground black pepper1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks8 oz. Portobello mushroom caps, cut into chunks4 small zucchini, cut into chunks1 large red onion, layers separated and cut into 1-inch chunks¾ lb. whole wheat linguine (I like Whole Foods’ 365 brand)Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the tomato halves cut side up on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Drizzle some olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 3 hours or until tomatoes are very soft and at least half their original volume. If you have less time, increase the temperature. If you have more, let them cook until they are as sweet and chewy as you want. It will be good either way, but I have the feeling that slow roasting provides the sweetest result. Remove from the oven, set aside until cool and cut in half lengthwise.Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Toss the other vegetables with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and spread them out on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Roast until browned and tender, tossing once during cooking. Keep in mind that the vegetables will finish cooking at different times, and remove them from the oven accordingly.Meanwhile, make the pesto and cook the pasta. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water, just before draining. Add a little at a time to the pesto until it has a thick, but pourable consistency.Drain the pasta and return it to the pasta pot. Add the roasted vegetables and toss gently. Add the pesto and toss to coat. At this point, you may want to add a bit of pasta water to moisten the vegetable and loosen the sauce a bit more, but it’s your call. Take it slow and stop when things look good to you.