With arugula, green beans, red onions and white balsamic vinaigrette, this roasted tomato zucchini squash pasta salad is all about the veggies.
Summer is prime pasta salad season. And I am taking full advantage of eating noodles at room temperature or even straight from the fridge.
Pasta salads make fantastic sides for grilled mains like meat and chicken.
They are also satisfying options for vegetarians who want feel full at a barbecue and not just nibbling on chips and other things here and there.
There are so many different veggies, herbs and greens that you can stir with whatever pasta shape to turn it into a salad.
I like either grilled or roasted vegetables in my pasta salads.
Even when it’s warm outside, I still switch on my oven to roast a sheet pan full of veggies.
One of my go to combinations is this roasted tomato zucchini pasta salad.
Yes, it is a long name, but I want to give proper credit to each vegetable.
First I preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Then I get started arranging the zucchini and squash on one sheet pan and the tomatoes and green beans on the other.
In the past I have made the green beans on the stovetop in boiling water for this recipe, but it just seems unnecessary to add yet another cooking method. And another pot to wash!
Why not just roast the green beans with everything else?
While the vegetables cook, I boil the penne on the stove.
You can use another pasta shape if you want.
It helps to marry the flavor of the veggies with the pasta by folding them in hot straight from the sheet pan.
I stir in a couple generous handfuls of arugula, which lightly wilt from the heat.
Then I add a splash of white balsamic vinegar, red onions, chives and Parmesan.
I love how this roasted tomato, zucchini squash pasta salad is more about the veggies than the penne.
With pasta salad, I always make sure that the pasta is al dente. Having that slight chew allows it to stand up to all the rest of the ingredients.
Also, this is a wonderful make-ahead dish.
With arugula, green beans, red onions and white balsamic vinaigrette, this roasted tomato zucchini squash pasta salad is all about the veggies.
Can regular balsamic vinegar be subbed for the white?
Yes, you can use regular balsamic. It will make the final dish a little darker than if you used white balsamic, but it will still be delicious!