Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables Including Artichokes, Red Pepper and Asparagus Recipe

A veggie artichoke recipe

Yield: 8 Preparation Time: Cooking Time:

Artichokes, asparagus and red pepper pasta with 2 cheese sauce. Served as a main-course.

Ingredients

1 8 oz can artichoke hearts, drained
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus
3 large red peppers
16 oz rigatoni pasta
2 1/4 cups grated Fontina cheese
3 cups parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup plus 2 tsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp plain flour
4 1/2 cups milk
10 oz rocket, rinsed and chopped

Recipe Instructions

Cook pasta and vegetables
Preheat oven to 350^oF (175^oC). Roast peppers in the oven until skins are blackened. Put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes, and skins can then be easily pulled off. De-seed peppers and slice into 1/2″ slices. Trim the asparagus and cut into 1″ pieces. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt, and boil pasta for 10 minutes. Add the asparagus and artichokes and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl and toss with olive oil.

Prepare sauce
Melt butter in a large saucepan and add flour. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk and whisk until smooth. Cook until the sauce thickens, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and add the Fontina cheese and 2 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Stir until cheeses are melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble dish
Pour the sauce over the pasta and add the rocket and red peppers. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes.