Tomato Time: End of Summer Pasta

This time of year, there's so much great food at the farmers’ market, it’s hard not to come home with more than you can possibly eat. The mountains of late season summer tomatoes on vendor’s tables are irresistible. And right now, as our short New York tomato season draws to a close, I try to eat as many as possible before they disappear. Here’s a recipe I recently made that uses lots of the other late summer vegetables, but lets the flavor of those soon-to-be-gone tomatoes shine through.

I took a combination of eggplant, red bell pepper, yellow squash, and onion and roasted those, then tossed the roasted vegetables with hot whole wheat pasta, fresh uncooked tomatoes, and fresh basil. The combination of the sweet roasted vegetables and the tangy tomatoes is a perfect combination. If you have leftovers, they make a delicious lunch. 

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Fresh Tomatoes, and Basil

Makes 4 servings

1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large red or green bell pepper (or use a combination), cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices  

1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

6 ounces whole wheat rigatoni or other short pasta

2 large tomatoes (preferably beefsteak), chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Combine the eggplant, bell pepper, squash, and onion in a large rimmed baking pan or roasting pan. Add the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in the pan. Bake, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

3. When the vegetables are about half way done, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  

4. Combine the roasted vegetables, pasta, tomatoes, basil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture among four shallow serving bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Each serving: 46 g carbohydrate, 276 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber, 10 g protein, 304 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 3; Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 veg, 1 fat

Meatless Monday Bean Burger

If you’re participating in Meatless Monday (or even if you’re not), here’s a burger with so much flavor, you’ll enjoy it any day of the week. I eat bean-based burgers often and love to play around with the seasonings. For this one, I sautéed the jalapeno, onion, and garlic to soften them slightly before adding them to the other ingredients.

A potato masher is the best tool for mashing the beans; I think a food processor grinds them too finely. I like to see a little bean in my bean burger. I used pintos for this recipe, because that’s what I had in the pantry, but black beans would work here too. These burgers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; just put wax paper between the patties to keep them from sticking together and cover them with plastic wrap.

A few words about buns (bread buns, that is): If you haven’t made the switch to whole wheat buns, a full-flavored recipe like this one is the perfect place to give them a try. The burger itself is so flavorful that you won’t notice the whole wheat. If you buy large buns and rolls from a bakery or from those self-serve bins at the supermarket, take them down a notch. No one needs that many carbs!  I bought the one in the photo here from the self-serve bin at my local market and I cut fully 1-inch of bun out of the middle of it!  Just saved myself a lot of carbs and calories that I never missed. If you can’t bear to throw the middles away, save them to make stuffing or bread crumbs. 

Cilantro Bean Burgers

Makes 3 servings

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 large egg white

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 small whole wheat sandwich buns, toasted

Optional toppings: lettuce leaves, tomato slices, sweet onion slices

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the jalapeño, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a dish to cool slightly.

While the vegetables cook, place the beans in a medium bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add the egg white, bread crumbs, cilantro, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Add the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Shape the mixture into 3 patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the patties and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve in the buns, with the toppings of your choice.

Each serving:  39 g carbohydrate, 298 calories, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g fiber, 12 g protein, 410 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 2 1/2; Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 plant-based protein, 1 fat