Rustic Pasta with Chunky Vegetables

We like to call this dish “rustic pasta”.  Why do we call it that?  I have no clue.  We even served it here in a white square bowl, which is probably the opposite of rustic.  Nonetheless, something about this meal brimming with big chunky vegetables and whole wheat pasta says rustic to us.  We coated the vegetable chunks and penne pasta in a tomato sauce brightened up with hints of saffron, ginger, and garlic and then gave it a creamy twist with mascarpone cheese. 

Ingredients
1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into 1/8th
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
12 ounces asparagus spears, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 tablespoons minced ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon saffron threads
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
12 ounce box whole wheat penne

Instructions
Heat oven to 400.  Place vegetables pieces in large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Pour the liquid mixture over the vegetables and coat using tongs.  Place on baking sheet and set in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables have cooked through.  Set aside

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add shallots and ginger and sauté until the shallots are soft (about 3 minutes).  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in the tomatoes and saffron threads.  Simmer for 20 minutes, until the flavors come together.  Stir in mascarpone cheese.  Add all the vegetables, herbs, and liquid left on the baking sheet to the sauce and heat.  Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce.