Simmering Saturdays: Marinated Vegetable Pasta Salad
How do you make the best ever vegetable pasta salad? MARINATE the veggies. Roast or BBQ any veg you want, then toss in a marinade so they absorb the flavor while hot before mixing through pasta.
Ingredients
- 14 oz curly pasta , dried (or other of choice)
- 1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped (or chives)
- 4 oz feta, crumbled into big chunks
VEGETABLES:
- 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 1 eggplant, halved lengthwise, then 0.5″ thick semi circles
- 2 zucchini, cut into 2/3″ chunks (see video)
- 7oz button mushrooms, halved (large ones quartered)
- 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2″ lengths
Note: Feel free to switch up as desired. Any roast-able veggies will be great. Also note, it looks like a huge volume uncooked but it shrinks by about 30% once cooked!
ROASTING:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
MARINADE / DRESSING:
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp each dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme
- 1/2 – 1 tsp chili flakes (adjust spice to taste)
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Place ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside 10 minutes+.
ROASTED VEGETABLES:
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Preheat oven to 480°F – super high heat replicates BBQ charred edges.
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Toss veggies in oil – Place all vegetables other than asparagus in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic, toss.
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Spread vegetables on 2 trays (fill one less than the other). Roast 25 minutes, tossing once.
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Add asparagus – Drizzle asparagus with oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Add into oven for last 5 minutes.
Note on roasting times: 25 min – listed veggies or cauliflower, carrots, corn on cob (cut kernels off), parsnip, root veg, pumpkin
15 – 20 min – broccoli, broccolini, fennel, beetroot (cubes), leeks
5 minutes – asparagus, green beans, peas.
No cook – olives, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and other pickled/antipasto veg, tomato, cucumbers, leafy greens.
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PASTA SALAD:
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Marinate veggies – Transfer vegetables into large bowl, pour over 1/2 the Dressing. Toss, then leave to marinate for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
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Cook pasta + 2 minutes: In large pot of salted water, cook pasta per packet directions but ADD 2 minutes to the cook time (because pasta firms up when cool. By cooking the pasta beyond al dente, it keeps the pasta softer even when refrigerated). Drain and return pasta into pot.
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Add vegetables, including veg juices, into the pasta pot. Add remaining Dressing and parsley, then toss. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly.
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Serve! Sprinkle with feta and serve! Keeps 4 – 5 days, serve at room temp.
MAKE AHEAD PRO TIP:
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SCOOP OUT a mug of pasta cooking water just before draining. Add 3 tbsp water to reserved Dressing (after marinating veg), shake well. Use this Dressing per above, but reserve 3 tbsp to freshen up pasta salad on Day 2 onwards.
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Freshen up pasta salad: Bring to room temp or briefly microwave (cold pasta = dry) to warm gently. Toss with Reserved Dressing then serve.
