Roasted Vegetable Pasticcio with Rigatoni, Feta and Fresh Herbs

The use of roasted vegetables and tangy feta cheese, and the addition of capers, mint and lemon rind saves this dish from being just another cheesy pasta casserole.

The recipe includes the standard prep work of precooking pasta (I used whole wheat farfalle) and making a sauce. The sauce in this case is a mix of vegetables that resembles ratatouille: eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, onions and garlic. I thought the roasted mixture was a little dry so added a few roasted tomatoes I had stored in the freezer.

Once the ingredients are mixed together, they’re topped with herby breadcrumbs that crisp during baking.

The flavours of this dish are very nice and though there is a fair bit of cheese, it seems lighter than most of its type.