Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad is one of those easy pasta salad recipes with Italian dressing, but gets elevated by adding roasted vegetable. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and makes this pasta salad special.  It's the perfect pasta salad for all your summer parties this year!

My husband is a huge pasta salad fan. You might remember my recipe for Creamy Tuna Pasta Salad I posted last week being a bit hit at my house.  But this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad has proven it's worth as well. Hubby gives this one two thumbs up.

I like pasta salad too. Adding roasted vegetables to this pasta salad really elevates it. It not only softens the vegetables a bit, but it also brings out the natural sweetness in veggies that I love. If I had to pick a favorite way to cook vegetables, I'd answer oven roasting every single time.

What are the best vegetables for roasting?

I love to roast summer vegetables like zucchini and yellow squash. They take almost no time to roast in the oven and come out so much more flavorful than when they are eaten raw. Sweet red bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and onions also are great veggies for roasting. I've used all these vegetables in this pasta salad.

Tips for making oven roasted vegetables for pasta salad:

• Keep the dice size consistent with how quickly the vegetable will cook (according to the density of the vegetable). Carrots take longer than peppers, so dice them a little smaller than the peppers.  
• Lining your baking sheet with parchment or non stick foil will help with clean up. 
• Try not to over crowd the pan and make sure the vegetables are all in a single layer. 

How to make Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

You can cook the pasta while the vegetables are roasting in the oven. Once removed from the oven, the roasted vegetables will need to cool slightly. They can then be added to the cooked, rinsed, and drained pasta along with the salami, tomatoes, and sliced black olives.

Make sure you toss the pasta salad gently so as not to break up the roasted vegetables. Adding the Italian dressing while the pasta and vegetables are warm is important. The warm pasta and vegetables will absorb the flavors better then if added when they are cold. Instead of making a pasta salad dressing recipe here, I opt to use a good bottled "zesty" Italian dressing.

Once the salad is cool enough that the cheeses won't melt, the cheeses can be added.  The pasta salad is then refrigerated for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to combine.

Although this pasta salad is intended to be eaten as a cold pasta salad, you can eat it at room temperature too! My father in law even likes it heated up in the microwave! (I haven't tried it this way myself!)

Pasta Salad is a summer staple at my house. I can't imagine our summer parties without it. This is a great pasta salad recipe because it's tasty and easy! It not only makes a great side dish, but it also works as a main dish as well!

See how to make Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

Salad

American

Yield: 12 servingsAuthor: Renee Paj

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Roasted vegetables combine with tri-color pasta, meat, cheese, and your favorite zesty Italian dressing for a quick pasta salad perfect for all your summer parties!

prep time: 10 minscook time: 4 hourtotal time: 4 hours and 10 mins

ingredients:

• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1 cup diced yellow squash
• 1 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup diced button mushrooms
• 1 cup red bell pepper, diced 
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
• 12 oz. dry tri-colored rotini pasta
• 1 - 4 oz. can sliced black olives
• .25 pound thick sliced Genoa salami, diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 
• 4 oz. provolone cheese, diced 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 - 2 cups of your favorite zesty Italian Salad Dresssing

instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. 
2. Toss the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, carrots, mushrooms, and red bell pepper with the olive oil. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet in single layer.  Season with salt and pepper, Place thyme springs on baking sheet on top of vegetables if using. 
3. Bake in oven until crisp tender about 15 minutes.  When done, remove the springs of thyme and set veggies aside. 
4. While veggies are roasting, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Rinse and drain.  Place in a large bowl. 
5. Add warm roasted veggies, olives, tomatoes, and Genoa salami to the pasta. Gently toss.  
6. Starting with 1 cup, add in zesty Italian dressing and toss. If the veggies and pasta are cooled to room temperature at this point, you can add the cheeses and toss. If still hot, let sit at room temperature until just warm and add in the cheeses. 
7. If needed, add more dressing and taste for salt and pepper, add as needed. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to combine. 
8. Serve cold or at room temperature. 

NOTES:

Use your favorite bottled Italian Dressing in this recipe. I prefer the "zesty" variety for a bolder flavor.

https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2018/06/roasted-vegetable-pasta-salad.html

Copyright © 2018 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

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Don't forget to pin Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad to your summer Pinterest boards! 

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