Slow Roasted Veggie Pasta Bake

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300. Slice the zucchini into ¼” rounds and the tomatoes into ½” slices or wedges. If you’re using cherry tomatoes you can leave them whole or cut in half. Place into a large casserole dish and toss with ¼ cup olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut the top off of a head of garlic, leaving the cloves exposed and dip the top into the olive oil gathering in the casserole dish then place face up with the zucchini and tomatoes. Roast the vegetables for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to ensure they don’t dry out on top. After about an hour a lot of liquid should be accumulating at the bottom of the casserole dish. Spoon out about half of this, and reserve for later, so that the vegetables will get jammy and not too soggy as they cook.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Refer to the packaging for appropriate time. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking.
3. After two hours the vegetables should be soft, jammy and flavorful. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Turn the oven to broil.
4. When the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze it out into the casserole dish and gently mash with a fork to make mixing easier. Add the pasta to the casserole dish along with 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon Calabrian chilis (you can omit this if you don’t like spicy or replace with a pinch of red pepper flakes), and the provolone cheese. Add the reserved vegetable liquid and toss to combine everything.
5. Place uncovered under the broiler for 4-5 minutes until everything is melted and rewarmed. Remove from the oven and top with freshly grated parmesan and extra Calabrian chiles.