Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Pasta
on Jul 19, 2026
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This balsamic roasted vegetable pasta is an easy vegetarian dinner recipe. I use balsamic vinaigrette to quickly marinate zucchini, yellow squash and cherry tomatoes before they roast in the oven. Then I combine them with penne pasta, parmesan and basil. Served with a salad, this is a simple meal that’s full of veggies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s a mostly sheet pan recipe. Roasting works its magic on vegetables, boosting their flavor with minimal prep and maximum results. I love pasta when I can get veggies in each bite. That’s my idea of balance.
Balsamic vinaigrette can do so much more than just dress salads. With all that bold flavor and personality, it’s a fantastic marinade for vegetables. Make no mistake, treating it like a marinade does not mean that you have to let the veggies sit in the dressing for a while like you would with a protein because the vegetables absorb all that goodness right when you stir them in.
You can reheat leftovers or eat them cold as roasted veggie pasta salad. If I do eat them as a salad, I also throw in baby spinach or arugula for greens.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Vegetables: I use zucchini and yellow squash, which are interchangeable, and cherry tomatoes. This is a go-to veggie combo that also works in this summer vegetable bake.
- Pasta: Short pasta shapes are best. Penne is my go-to, but orecchiette or fusilli are other good options for this vegetarian pasta recipe.
- Parmesan: I stir grated parmesan cheese in with the vegetables when I combine everything, and it adds great umami flavor. You can substitute with pecorino cheese for something a little stronger.
- Basil: I stack basil leaves on top of each other, roll them up and quickly cut the leaves into ribbons. If you don’t have fresh basil, you can add a spoonful of homemade basil pesto to the balsamic marinade.
- Balsamic vinaigrette: This salad dressing/marinade has garlic, whole grain mustard, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. The most important thing is to mince the garlic into a paste, which is easy to do with a microplane or a grater. Then you won’t have tiny pieces of garlic could burn as the veggies roast.
How To Make This Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Marinate the vegetables. Whisk the balsamic vinaigrette in a big bowl. Stir in the veggies. Use a slotted spoon to arrange them in a single layer across both pans. You should leave the excess dressing in the bowl.
2. Roast the veggies. This will take about 25-30 minutes. The summer squash should be lightly browned, and the tomatoes should be wrinkled.
3. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente according to the recommended cook time on the package. Drain the pasta and stir it into the remaining marinade in the bowl.
4. Stir the roasted vegetables, parmesan and basil into the penne.
Serving
A salad is the obvious choice to go with this roasted veggie pasta and complete the meal. A few I always come back to are this lemon arugula salad, this better-than-a-restaurant house salad or this classic Italian chopped salad.
If you’re a fan of easy pasta dinners, check out my seasonal pasta guide for spring, summer, winter and fall inspiration. Also, if you love veggies, don’t miss my roasted vegetable recipe guide.
Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves, minced into a paste*
- 1 tablespoon whole grain msutard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- Stir the vegetables into the balsamic marinade.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the prepared sheet pans, leaving the extra marinade in the bowl. Spread the veggies into a single layer, roast for 25-30 minutes until the zucchini and squash are tender and lightly browned on the edges and the tomatoes are wrinkled.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and stir it in the remaining marinade in the bowl. Fold in the roasted vegetables, parmesan and basil.
- Divide into serving plates or into bowls and top with additional grated parmesan as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
