Penne Pasta with Roasted Fennel, Cherry Tomatoes, and Black Olives

I had half a package of penne pasta leftover (from Whole Foods' house brand), and this seemed the perfect recipe to use it up.

Cut a 1/2 pound fennel bulb in half, and discard the tough inner core. Chop the rest into bite-size pieces (I pretty much just chopped mine into cubes).

Combine the fennel in a 13x9-inch baking dish with 1/2 cup halved and pitted kalamata olives, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano and 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes.

Sprinkle evenly with 1/8 tsp. black pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss to combine. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, cook 8 ounces of penne pasta (about 2 cups dry pasta) according to package directions. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add the fennel mixture, along with 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir in 3/4 cup shredded vegan cheese in place of Parmesan (such as the vegan mozzarella from Galaxy Foods).

You'll have 4 servings of 370 calories each. The original recipe said each portion would be about 1 and 3/4 cups but perhaps my fennel bulb wasn't big enough, because my portions were closer to 1 and 1/4 cups each.

Cost:
fennel $1.29
kalamata olives $4.99
rosemary $2.49
oregano $2.49
cherry tomatoes $3.49
vegan cheese $3.39

p.s. I know a lot of bloggers and tweeters are mad at Whole Foods right now for comments from the CEO. If you are vegan, or know a vegan, I urge you to keep shopping there. The wealth of vegan products that they sell is extraordinary, and it would be a shame to lose such a goldmine!