Recipe Time Again - Pasta with Olive / Artichoke Tapenade and Roasted Vegetables

As you may have figured out by now I love to cook. Lately I've been working on expanding my repertoire of Mediterranean dishes, particularly dishes inspired by Greek ingredients. This latest dish is a perfect example.

I am providing a vegetarian option this time. If you feel a need to add meat to it just take a small skinless, boneless chicken breast, rub it with salt, cook on a grill brushed lightly with olive oil and then slice and serve on top of dish.

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables in a Olive and Artichoke Tapenade:

Ingredients:

1 large zuchini
1 large or 2 small red onions
1 sweet red pepper
2 portabello mushrooms
40 kalamata olives
2 whole artichoke hearts
4 tbsp of capers
Olive Oil
Red wine
1 tsp lemon juice
salt
pepper

Tapenade:

Halve the olives and remove the seeds.
Wash capers, separate 2 tbsp
combine olives, 2 tbsp of capers, artichoke hearts, lemon juice and 5 tbsp of olive oil, season with black pepper only (result will be quite salty, no need to add salt to this part) in a hand chopper / food processor, chop until all ingredients reduced to a coarse paste. Set aside.

Roasted vegetables:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cut zuchini and red pepper into pieces between 1/2 the size of thumb and size of thumb. If using small onions cut into 8 pieces each, if using a single large onion more cuts may be necessary.
Combine in a casserole dish.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle with equal measures of olive oil and red wine.
Toss
Roast for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, baste, roast 20 minutes more.

Final dish:

Cook spaghetti noodles as needed.
Cut portabello mushroom caps into 1 inch cubes. Combine in a large frying pan or a wok with roasted vegetables. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove cover, add tapenade, stir and cover again, cook for additional 5 minutes.
Add reserved 2 tbsp of capers, stir and cook 30 seconds.
Serve immediately as is, with chicken breast or topped with parmesan, feta or ricotta cheese.