Ratatouille Inspired Pasta

Usually I go to the store with a plan -- a meal I saw in a magazine, in one of my numerous cookbooks or while perusing blogs online. But every once in a while I let spontaneity rule my shopping trip and yesterday, while at the market I couldn't help but be inspired by some colorful fresh vegetables. Immediately I thought of ratatouille. Since I wanted a light meal, instead of using it as a side dish, I decided to toss it over pasta. So much bright color and flavor, packed into a really simple dish. And what's even better about this dish, if you have leftover vegetables, they'll work great mixed into scrambled eggs or tossed with meat and soy sauce for a 2-minute stir fry.

Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 orange bell pepper
2 zucchini
7-10 baby bella mushrooms
1 large tomato
3 tbsp. olive oil
Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups pasta

Steps:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. When al dente, rinse and set aside. 
2. Dice onion, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes into roughly 1/4 in. pieces.
3. In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil, and add onion and bell pepper. Saute until onions are translucent.
4. Add zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes, tossing so all sides will lightly caramelize. 
5. Add Italian seasoning and mushrooms, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are soft. 
6. Lastly, add pasta and tomatoes, stirring until tomatoes are heated through, about 2 minutes. 

Serves 2-3