Roasted Veggie and Ground Beef Pasta

I used to eat a lot of Kraft Dinner with ground beef in my 20s. It was cheap, easy, and it got me through those busy years. This recipe kind of reminds me of that, but it’s the adult version. A little more work, a lot more flavour, and something I feel good about eating now.

It does take a bit of time to pull together, with chopping, roasting, and cooking the pasta involved, but it’s one of those meals that’s worth it. Everything comes together in one big pan, and it’s hearty enough to satisfy without feeling heavy.

If you’ve got leftovers, even better. It packs up nicely for lunch the next day.

Here’s how to make it:

Roasted Veggie and Ground Beef Pasta

Servings 6 

Ingredients:

4 zucchinis
4 long eggplants
4 bell peppers
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 large red onion, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 ½ lbs grass-fed ground beef
1- 250-gram box of gluten-free penne pasta or regular pasta
4 cups pasta water, reserved

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Chop all the vegetables into bite-size pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper—transfer veggies to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You will need two sheets.
3. Roast the veggies in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark. Veggies are done when they look roasted.
4. While the veggies are roasting, preheat a large sauté pan over med-high heat; add ground beef and sauté until cooked. Drain the ground beef and return to the sauté pan.
5. At the halfway mark of stirring the veggies, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
6. Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, reserve 4 cups of pasta water, and drain the pasta.
7. Place roasted veggies and pasta in the sauté pan with the ground beef; add 2 cups of the pasta water and stir to combine. If there is not enough “sauce,” add an additional cup of pasta water, stir and check. If needed, add the final cup of pasta water.
8. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

I like using the mix of vegetables listed, but feel free to swap in whatever you have. Roasted veggies are pretty forgiving, and this dish works with whatever is in season or whatever needs to be used up in the fridge.