This roasted vegetable pasta salad is absolutely delicious and features seasonal vegetables. It's not only easy to make, but it's bursting with flavor from the homemade dressing, feeds a crowd, keeps for days in the refrigerator, and is a recipe that even meat lovers can't get enough of!
Today's recipe takes advantage of spring and summer's bounty of fresh vegetables. (By the way, if you love using seasonal flavors— you will LOVE this pesto bruschetta chicken recipe that I shared last year.) We can't get enough of this roasted vegetable pasta salad— it's our warmer weather staple and pairs with just about anything.
Why You’ll Love It:
- It's easy to make
- Use your favorite seasonal vegetables
- Incredibly flavorful from the homemade dressing
- Feeds a crowed
- Lasts for days in the refrigerator
- Convenient make-ahead recipe for any occasion
Tell Me About This Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Texture: There's not much variety with texture in this recipe, but it's flavor makes up for it. You could always toss in some walnuts or pine nuts or some added crunch.
- Flavor: This recipe is loaded with seasonal vegetables and coated with an insanely flavorful dressing that your taste buds will go crazy for. Take advantage of using your favorite vegetables but also what's in season for the most flavor— in the colder months I use more root vegetables.
- Ease: Overall this recipe is pretty simple. While the vegetables are roasting, you can start cooking the pasta and gather the ingredients together for the dressing. Drain the pasta, add the roasted vegetables and then toss together with the dressing.
- Time: 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients You Need For This Pasta Salad
- Pasta: You want to use a noodle that will absorb the dressing— rotini or corkscrews work best. The dressing will seep into the crevasses of those types of noodles.
- Vegetables: Use what you love, have on hand or that are on their last leg in the refrigerator. You want a total of about 4.5 cups of vegetables.
- Fresh Garlic: Too the pan that you're roasting the vegetables on, toss on a head of garlic. We'll use the roasted garlic in the dressing. Some don't love roasted garlic so feel free to use freshly minced.
- Lemon: Using fresh lemon gives the pasta brightness.
- Olive Oil: The olive oil is the base of the dressing, it not only provides flavor but it also helps hold the spices together.
- Salt & Pepper: This is for base flavor.
- Dried Basil & Dried Parsley: Adds more flavor.
- Honey: Don't worry, the dressing isn't sweet. Just a touch of honey helps cut the acidity.
When To Serve & How To Eat It
With all the seasonal vegetables, this type of pasta salad works at any type of gathering, large or small, or even to have on hand for lunches during the week. I mean, how perfect would this dish be for an outdoor BBQ? Or paired with grilled chicken for a satisfying dinner.
Best of all, this pasta salad can be eaten warm OR cold! It keeps for up to 1 week in the refrigerator and tastes even better after 2 days, so it can be made ahead without compromising flavor.
The Dressing— It's Outta This World!
You can think of this homemade dressing like a marinade for the pasta salad. There's a lot of flavor packed into it and when tossed in with the warm ingredients, it immediately gets absorbed by the pasta and vegetables. Which means, MAXIMUM flavor!
The longer the pasta salad sits, the more the flavors develop. When I'm making this for a BBQ, I make it 1-2 days in advance and I save some of the dressing and add in the remaining before serving.
This is truly warmer weather entertaining at its finest! Grab a fork and dig in!
Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
Description
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 pound dry pasta (rotini, corkscrew, elbow, etc.)
- 4 and 1/2 cups chopped vegetables (bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, etc.)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dressing
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 head of garlic, with the top sliced off
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Set aside.
- While the oven preheats, chop the vegetables and place in a large bowl, including the head of garlic. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper— toss to combine. Spread the vegetables onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Depending on timing, the roasted garlic might not be finished yet. Once the roasted garlic is finished, squeeze the garlic out and mince. Add it to the dressing and stir together.
- Combine the roasted vegetables and pasta together in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week— it tastes better as it sits!
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This pasta salad stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It tastes best after it sits so it's the perfect make-ahead recipe! The vegetables and dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance.
- Vegetables: Use what you love, have on hand or that are on their last leg in the refrigerator. You want a total of about 4.5 cups of vegetables.
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