Note 2: serves 8 people or more...so watch out
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
Artichoke hearts (1 can)
1 medium zucchini
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (I made this tonight and didn't have these, so it's ok to omit)
1 can red kidney beans
1/2 red onion
1 cup small grape tomotoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 red bell pepper
16 oz fusilli pasta (bowties are also nice here)
6 oz dried pearl barley (can be omitted but we love it)
handful of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
make your own vinagrette or buy my favorite for this dish: Annie's Red Wine Vinagrette. You will use almost the entire bottle.
To Dos: Turn oven on to 400
peel eggplant, cut into rounds
cut pepper, onions, zuccini into biggish peices. lightly coat all veggies except for tomatoes in EVOO
Arrange in roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes.
Water on to boil, put in barley first, it needs 10 minutes lead time, then add pasta.
Drain pasta and barley together. add a little of the dressing so they don't cool off and stick together in a gross way.
When roasted veggies are cool enough to handle, chop it all into smaller bite sized pieces. Rule of thumb, you don't want them much bigger than the size of the noodle.
Dump veggies, kidney beans, tomatos, olives in large serving bowl with noodles and pour on the dressing. (to taste, but it pretty much needs the entire bottle)
Chop up basil and mix in.
DON'T add feta until it's been in the fridge a few hours. It will melt.
This pasta is hearty enough to be a meal on it's own, if you really want to give it punch, add grilled chicken and call it a day.
Enjoy!
