A few years ago I came upon a recipe for a roasted vegetable pasta salad that was pretty basic. I decided to amp it up and have been making this version with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing and fresh basil ever since. Now I hope you know by now that I love balsamic vinegar so if you aren’t a fan, you could remove it and try another vinagrette that you like or simply try a different pasta salad. 😉
Like many of my recipes, this is a recipe where you can add your favorite roasted vegetables to the mix and make it really delicious and personalize it to yourself. These roasted vegetables are just a few of my favorites.
I usually use feta cheese with this recipe but I did not have any on-hand so I used fresh mozzarella when I photographed this recipe. I also cube the vegetables into small pieces about 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch. They will cook down more once roasted.
- 1 large eggplant, cubed
- 2 medium zucchini, cubed
- 2 bell peppers, cubed
- 1 red onion, sliced into 1 inch slices
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 8 oz. pasta, can use any kind you want - cavatappi, farfalle, penne, macaroni or rotini
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 leaves fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Feta cheese, you could use fresh mozzarella or another favorite soft cheese
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the precut vegetables into a large bowl with with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper and toss until coated. Place the vegetables on two jelly roll pan or baking sheet. I cover mine with foil for easy cleanup.
- Roast vegetables for about 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- While vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta al dente.
- Combine the dressing ingredients of the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil and garlic in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place pasta in a large bowl and add roasted veggies, then the dressing and cheese. Toss to combine.
- You can serve chilled or warm, either will work. I usually chill mine but have eaten it right when made!
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