This homemade roasted balsamic vegetable pasta sauce is delicious and packed with an array of roasted vegetables!

Hi. My name is Mel.

I like schedules. I like routine. I thrive on both of those things. Like majorly.

Plate of cooked spaghetti coated with a chunky red spaghetti sauce and a fork taking a bite out of the middle.

I planned to post this amazing roasted vegetable pasta sauce this morning (have you ever noticed that all my posts go live at 6 a.m. – seriously, I have scheduling issues). But then. Then. Life happened. I won’t go into all of it but this week has been crazy. Nightmarish. Hard. Busy. Just life.

And as much as I love this here blog and my routines, they both take a backseat to life stuff. I know you know what I mean.

But don’t you worry, the very second I had five-except-more-like-65 extra minutes, I sat down to type up this post because this pasta sauce is glorious and delicious and packed with the most fantastic array of roasted vegetables lightly touched with balsamic and rosemary.

It completely takes spaghetti night to an incredible new level. And there is just something divine about roasted vegetables. Flavor, flavor, flavor.

Plus the recipe comes from my Aunt Marilyn who has impeccable food taste and who lists this meal as a staple for her family which, in other words, means it should be a staple for your family, too.

White plate with cooked spaghetti noodles topped with a chunky red sauce.

What To Serve With This:

Divine Breadsticks or Cheesy Garlic Bread
Steamed vegetable like broccoli or peas
Simple green salad (or something more fancy like this Romaine Salad with Chicken, Cheddar, Apples and Spiced Pecans)

One Year Ago: Firecracker Chicken
Two Years Ago: Baked Doughnuts
Three Years Ago: Potato Puffs {a.k.a. Homemade Baked Tater Tots}

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Roasted Balsamic Vegetable Pasta Sauce

4.45 stars (9 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant, diced (about 2-3 cups)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large, diced (about 2-3 cups)
  • 1 red pepper, cored, seeded and diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and diced
  • 8 ounces white button mushrooms, stems removed, mushrooms quartered or halved
  • 1 red onion, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • Hot, cooked pasta for serving
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions 

  • Place the chopped eggplant in a large colander set over a bowl or in the sink and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and stir well. Drain for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms and onion in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl or liquid measure, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and rosemary until well blended; pour over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated. Scoop the vegetables onto a large, rimmed baking sheet (12X18-inches) spreading out evenly (use two pans if it seems only one pan is overly full).
  • Bake the vegetables for 25-35 minutes until the vegetables are golden and tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle remaining the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the cooked vegetables (more to taste if needed).
  • While the vegetables roast, combine the crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, basil and pepper flakes in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add roasted vegetables to the tomato mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Vegetables: don’t have eggplant? Hate it? Hey, no problem! This is an incredibly versatile recipe as far as vegetables. I think broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, and a myriad of other veggies would be fantastic roasted here. Also, the amounts are very easily increased or decreased.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 228kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 910mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 20g
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my Aunt Marilyn