Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Amarante

Wed, Aug 12 2020, 10:13 am

This was very easy and any leftovers were great to have in the refrigerator. It is a variant of the classic pasta primavera but the roasted vegetables are an excellent variant.

The "Versatile Vinaigrette" is an excellent all-purpose vinaigrette salad dressing. No need for bottled salad dressings when this is so easy to make and much more delicious.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Excerpt From: Elizabeth Heiskell - What Can I Bring?

Use this recipe as a guide. The combinations you could incorporate are endless. This is really just a framework. Add your favorite herbs, use flavored olive oils, or add fresh spinach or arugula for added color and texture.

Serves: 18

Hands-on: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour, 20 minutes

4 summer squash, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces (about 6 cups)
2 pints cherry tomatoes
2 large zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick half-moons (about 3 cups)
1 medium-size red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
½ medium-size red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 2 tablespoons
2 ears fresh corn, husks removed
4 quarts water
1 (16-ounce) package penne pasta
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cup Versatile Vinaigrette

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss together the squash, tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, black pepper, ¼ cup of the olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of the salt in a large bowl until combined. Place the vegetables on 2 rimmed baking sheets, and place in the preheated oven. Place the corn directly on oven racks beside baking sheets. Bake until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring the water and remaining 2 tablespoons kosher salt to a boil over medium-high. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and toss to combine.

3. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs; discard cobs. Stir together the pasta, roasted vegetables, corn kernels, Parmesan, fresh basil, and Vinaigrette until combined.

Versatile Vinaigrette

Of course, it’s the perfect dressing for a heap of greens, but it can also add a flavorful boost to roasted veggies. Brush it on toasted bread to make a tasty sandwich. Don’t stop there: It makes a great marinade for chicken or pork, the perfect dip for blanched asparagus or or green beans, and a lovely sauce for poached seafood or fish.”

Makes: 3 cups
Hands-on: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Most vinaigrette recipes call for some kind of mustard. It acts like a marriage counselor: It keeps two things together that don’t want to stay together.

¾ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard*
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup olive oil or canola oil

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until smooth.

Note: You can use a food processor to combine the oil and the acid, but it’s easy to over-process the liquids and they can become thicker than gravy. If the dressing gets too thick, add water to thin the dressing; do NOT add more oil, because that will only make the problem worse.”