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.

I decided to switch on my oven to make a roasted tomato zucchini squash pasta salad.

Yes, it is a long name, but I wanted to give proper credit to all those veggies.

I preheated the oven to 400 degrees F. Then I got 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 seemed unnecessary to add yet another cooking method. And another pot to wash.

Why not just roast the green beans with everything else? The good news is that it worked! Plus I liked it even better. 

While the vegetables roasted, I prepped everything else. I cooked the penne. You could use another shape if you want. 

It helped to marry the flavor of the veggies with the pasta by folding them in straight off the hot sheet pan.

I stirred in a couple generous handfuls of arugula, which lightly wilted from the heat. Then I added a little white balsamic vinegar, red onions, chives and Parmesan.

I loved how this roasted tomato, zucchini & squash pasta salad was 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, pasta is a wonderful make-ahead dish. 

Roasted Tomato Zucchini Squash Pasta Salad

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
• Total Time: 35-40 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 
4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium zucchinis, cubed
2 medium yellow squash, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces penne pasta
2 generous handfuls of arugula
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 ounce grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Arrange the cherry tomatoes, cut side up, with the green beans on one sheet pan. On the other sheet pan, spread the zucchini and squash in a single layer. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are slightly wrinkled, and the green beans, zucchini & squash are lightly browned at the edges.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water.

Combine the tomatoes, zucchini, squash, pasta, green beans, arugula, red onions, chives and Parmesan in a large bowl. Toss in the white balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with the remaining salt and pepper.

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