Pesto Pasta Casserole With Grilled Vegetables

This dish has a long name I know but I didn't know how to express it. This is inspired from a recipe my husband found on the internet, so we adapted it according to our taste. Making pasta with grilled vegetables is such a great idea. It is like making veggies pizza, but without the hassle of a dough and with juiciness of all the ingredients. If you are not into a vegetarian dinner night, just add some chicken in with the pasta and there you have it! With the melted cheese on top, summer vegetables and juicy tomatoes inside, I can eat the whole bake by myself! :) 

Ingredients:
Serves for 4

1/2 packet of pasta (it is up to you to decide how much pasta you would like in your dish and try cooking according to the size of your baking dish)
3 table spoons of home made pesto sauce (you can use ready made ones of course, or make one on the spot)

2 big eggplants
2 big courgettes 
2 big tomatoes
1 medium size red onion
2 cloves of garlic
Cheddar cheese or any type of melting cheese
Olive oil
Salt, pepper

How to:

1. We start with washing the courgettes and eggplants. Then cut the eggplants into short thin slices and put them in salty water to let the bitterness go away. Slice the courgettes into thin rounds and put them on a tray, sprinkle with a little bit of olive oil and salt. 

2. Put the courgettes into the oven to start grilling, then turn back to your eggplants. Dry them, put them onto a tray, sprinkle lightly with some olive oil and salt, then put into the oven to grill with the courgettes. 

3. Slice the red onion and sprinkle on top of the eggplants. Leave them to grill and bake in the oven. This should take nearly 20 minutes or maybe more.

4. While the vegetables are in the oven, boil some water in the kettle and start cooking your pasta. For this recipe I used farfalle pasta, but you can use any type of pasta really.  Drain your pasta after 10 - 12 minutes of cooking in salty water, then set aside. 

5. Put three table spoons of pesto sauce (again, the amount is up to you and your taste) into your pan with crushed garlic and heat for a few minutes. Mix the farfalle with the sauce and now we are ready for the final step! :) 

 

 

6. Lightly grease a baking dish with some olive oil and put the pasta in. Level with a spoon and start layering the eggplants onto the pasta evenly. Sprinkle the onions and cover with the courgettes, then slice the tomatoes and put them on top (tomatoes are raw), then sprinkle the grated cheese as much as you like.

7. Bake in the oven for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and juicy, all the flavors come together and form the perfect harmony. Eat slowly and enjoy!