Pesto Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes

Our garden is really kicking into gear lately. We've been in a pretty severe drought most of this summer so it took everything a while to get a good footing. Thankfully, we've had a couple of really good rains over the past few weeks so I think that gave the garden the push it needed to get going.

Our many tomato plants are starting to earn their keep, so I was excited to try out a recipe I found for roasted tomato basil pesto. Roasting vegetables elevates them to a whole new level. If you have any vegetables lingering around (asparagus, carrots, mushrooms, and butternut squash are my favorites), put them on a sheet pan with olive oil and salt & pepper and bake in a 350-400 degree oven until delicious. You won't regret it.

I actually ended up burning about a third of these because I used tiny cherry tomatoes. So heads up - keep an eye on them!

You can put this pesto on all sorts of things (I'd like to try it on sandwiches next), but I decided to mix it with whole wheat pasta for a healthy and filling dish.

I love seeing and participating in the process of food from seed to plate. Most of our plants we started from seed this year, so I feel very proud when it's harvest time. It definitely takes more effort, but I think it is worth it. I'm sure the fact that I'm a control freak has something to do with it, but it really is rewarding. It's great to finally realize the fruits of our labor!

~Tammy