30-Day Veggie Challenge

Having a small child and a picky husband in my house means I often resort to salad to getting something green on the dinner plate. But when it's drowned in ranch -- even if it's homemade and not the kind with a long list of ingredients I can't even pronounce let alone spell -- I just don't feel like it's the healthiest way to get my family to eat vegetables. So, I was super excited to hear about a blogger and fellow TwitterMoms member who is hosting the 30-Day Veggie Challenge on her blog, www.dinnertogether.blogspot.com.

Every day there will be a new vegetable recipe featured on the Dinner Together blog. Not all of the them are super healthy -- I saw a brussel sprouts and bacon concoction -- but I'm hoping to find some treasures to add to my repetoire. So, in that spirit, I share one of our favorite family veggie recipes, Roasted Vegetable Pasta Primavera.

4 cups your favorite vegetables -- I typically use carrots, broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower or whatever I can find in the fridge
1 diced onion
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme or basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 package whole wheat or spinach pasta -- farfalle or rotini are our faves

Cut all the vegetables into similar and bite-sized pieces and put in a bowl. Add the onions and garlic and toss with the olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper until all the vegetables are coated and seasoned. Spread the veggies on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree over for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile bring a huge pot of water to a boil, add salt and boil the pasta until al dente. Drain reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place pasta in a bowl and dump roasted vegetables on top. Toss the vegetables and the pasta, adding the pasta water as needed to keep it all moist. Top with fresh grated parmesan. This makes a big batch so unless your family loves leftovers, cut the recipe in half.

Variations: top with grilled chicken, sauteed shrimp or even sliced steak for a delicious and easy meal.