Farmers market pasta with greens and slow roasted tomatoes

This recipe comes from Auckland-based food writer, photographer and stylist Kelly Gibney. She shares beautifully photographed and styled recipes on her blog Kellygibney.com and Instagram at @kellygibney_wholehearted. Gibney has also released a cookbook, Wholehearted, available at most book retailers.

Ingredients

400 g	Cherry tomatoes (Main)
100 ml	Olive oil, plus an extra drizzle for roasting
1 bunch	Asparagus, woody ends trimmed (Main)
2	Medium zucchini
2	Garlic cloves, finely diced
1 large handful	Chopped parsley
250 g	Gluten-free spaghetti (Main)
1 serving	Soft cheese, such as feta or parmesan to top pasta ( I used the Clevedon Buffalo Co marinated soft buffalo cheese) (Main)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 150C. Halve the cherry tomatoes and lay in a single layer on an oven-proof dish. Drizzle generously with oil and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Bake for 1 hour or a bit longer until slightly shrivelled.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the asparagus for 30-45 seconds (depending on thickness) before quickly draining and plunging into icey water to halt the cooking and retain the bright green colour. Lay on a clean tea towel to dry for using.
3. Warm the Extra Virgin olive oil and the garlic VERY gently in a saute pan for 5-10 minutes. You want the garlic to soften and infuse the oil but you don't want the damage the delicate oil. It is better to have on a low heat for longer than to spoil the quality of the oil.
4. While the oil is infusing, use a spiraliser or a vegetable peeler to create ribbons with the zucchini.
5. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain well, retaining 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add this plus pasta to the warm olive oil. Toss well and season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Add the zucchini, parsley, cherry tomatoes (including the pan juices) and asparagus spears. Toss through for one minute before removing form the heat. The idea is to warm everything without overcooking the zucchini.
6. Divide pasta amongst the plates. Top with the cheese that you've chosen, some red chilli flakes and additional fresh herbs. Serve immediately.