Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

This roasted vegetable pasta salad recipe is made with spiral noodles and loaded with 7 different roasted vegetables tossed in a creamy balsamic dressing. Add it takes less than 20 minutes to make!

Nothing tastes better than roasted vegetables until  I add them to a cold pasta salad. I love roasted vegetables, and I love pasta even more. But when it's hot outside and over 110 degrees, this roasted pasta salad recipe is just what summer ordered. So, let's turn roasted vegetables into a cold, savory, roasted vegetable pasta salad with a creamy oil-free balsamic dressing.

Jump to:

• Guide to Roasting Vegetables
• What is Nutrient Density?
• Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad Ingredients
• Vegetable Pasta Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• What is Vegetable Pasta?
• How to Make Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe
• Creamy Balsamic Dressing Ingredients
• Creamy Balsamic Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• Recipe Variations
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

When I went to the farmer's market this week, I struggled not to buy everything in sight. Summertime vegetables are just too tempting, and everything looked so fresh and vibrant that I started changing my menu plan as I walked the aisles. Sometimes, even though I make a list, I change it based on what produce is available. Today was one of those days.

Once, I saw the red bell peppers, mushrooms, thin asparagus (my favorite), zucchini, summer squash, and leeks. I made roasted vegetable pasta salad.

Guide to Roasting Vegetables

1. To roast vegetables perfectly every time, you first need to group vegetables, then cook them at the correct temperature and time.
2. To roast vegetables, always preheat the oven to 425 degrees first. Another tip is to cut vegetables in similar sizes to cook them evenly.
3. Therefore, I chose the vegetables for my roasted vegetable salad that were cooked at the same temperature for the same time.
4. I suggest roasting vegetables at different temperatures using two pans and grouping vegetables with similar cook times.

One of my favorite "go-to" cheat sheets for roasting vegetables is from My Frugal Home, an excellent resource for printables for your kitchen. I have this chart laminated in my kitchen for a quick reference. Or, you can always ask Alexa!

Roasted vegetable pasta salad not only tastes delicious, but it is also a nutrient-dense mega bowl. So, if you are trying to add more vegetables and greens into your diet, dive into this roasted vegetable pasta salad recipe. As an entree salad, roasted vegetable salad is filling and delicious.

What is Nutrient Density?

For instance, Dr. Fuhrman created the ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) to show how popular foods rate regarding micronutrient density per calorie. So, for example, the more nutrient-dense food you eat, the more you will be satisfied with fewer calories. In other words, you will get fuller faster and eat more.

Let’s look at the nutrient-dense foods and how they score on ANDI for the roasted vegetable pasta salad:

• Tomatoes 186
• Zucchini 164
• Summer Squash 185
• Red Bell Peppers 265
• Asparagus 205
• Mushrooms 238
• Leeks 109

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad Ingredients

Although you can choose your favorite vegetables for roasting, I have my all-time summer favorites.

• Pasta: I chose a whole grain pasta with various vegetables.
• Zucchini: Zucchini is fresh this time of year and growing out of my garden.
• Summer Squash: Similarly, summer squash is inexpensive in the summertime and fresh this time of year.
• Red Bell Peppers: Red bell peppers are sweet and get even sweeter when roasted.
• Asparagus: I love thin asparagus, and be sure to remove the tough bottoms of the stalks.
• Portobello Mushrooms: I used baby bella mushrooms cut in half. I like portobello mushrooms because they are hearty.
• Leeks: Leeks taste like a mild version of an onion, with the same base flavor but far less intensity. They are delicate and sweeter than other members of their cultivar group. Traditionally, the white part and light green middle are eaten, while the green tops are often discarded.
• Tomatoes: I chose grape tomatoes because they are bite-sized and similarly sized to the other cut vegetables I used.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is the only seasoning I used because the dressing is so flavorful, it doesn't need any other seasoning.

Vegetable Pasta Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any pasta you prefer. For a gluten-free option, choose gluten-free noodles.
• Double the zucchini or summer squash instead of using both.
• Eggplant is also an excellent substitute for summer squash or zucchini.
• Yellow, green, or yellow bell peppers substitute red bell peppers in recipes. However, green peppers are not as sweet and tend to have a sharper flavor.
• Green beans are an excellent substitute for asparagus.
• Try cremini mushrooms instead of portobello mushrooms.
• Cherry tomatoes are similar to grape tomatoes in size and flavor.
• Onion powder is a substitute for garlic powder in recipes.

What is Vegetable Pasta?

Even though any pasta type works well for roasted vegetable pasta salad, I chose one of my favorite noodles, Wacky Mac Veggie Spirals, made with tomato, beet, and spinach.

These veggie spiral noodles are colorful, but they cook in only 8 minutes. Since we are making a cold pasta salad, once the noodles are cooked, they need to be rinsed in cold water to stop the cooking process.

I also like Trader Joe's Organic Pasta Vegetable Radiatore. 

And these noodles can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator until ready to mix with the roasted vegetable pasta salad.

How to Make Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad Recipe

Since the noodles and the pasta take approximately the same amount of time, I suggest dressing first while the oven preheats and the water boils for the pasta.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a prepared baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, add all the vegetables in a single layer.
3. Sprinkle with vegetables with garlic powder.
4. Boil water in a pan with a couple of pinches of salt.
5. Cook the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes.
6. Boil the pasta for the amount of time on the package instructions.
7. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water to expedite cooling the noodles.
8. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Creamy Balsamic Dressing Ingredients

As many of you know, I LOVE dressings and sauces, and roasted vegetable pasta salad is no exception. For this particular recipe, I chose a creamy balsamic vinegar dressing recipe.

Once the noodles and vegetables are cooked and cooled, it's time to make a fabulous oil-free salad dressing.

• Raw Cashews: Cashews provide creaminess. See other options below for nut-free options.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This vinegar is tart, with some suggestions of apples.
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a citrus acid that enhances the flavor of the creamy balsamic dressing recipe.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard has a tangy, sharp, and intense flavor with spice.
• Balsamic Vinegar: A rich, complex sweetness that explodes in the mouth with notes of fig, molasses, cherry, chocolate, or prune. Traditional balsamic should pick up the flavors of the wood it matured in and may have a slight smokiness. Traditional balsamic offers a mellow tartness rather than a strong acidity.
• Water: The water acts as an emulsifier instead of using oil to thin the dressing.

Creamy Balsamic Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• For a nut-free dressing, substitute silken tofu or white beans. Reduce water by ½ the amount in the original recipe.
• Substitute raw almonds or macadamia nuts if you don't have cashews.
• Raw sunflower seeds can be substituted for cashews in a 1:1 replacement in vegan recipes with success.
• Substitute apple cider vinegar with red or white wine vinegar! They are made from fermented wine, and you might already have one or the other in your cupboard.
• Use bottled lemon juice instead of freshly squeezed juice.
• Stone ground mustard is a substitute for dijon mustard.
• For every 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, substitute 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar or red wine vinegar plus ½ teaspoon of sugar.

However, one suggestion is to soak the raw cashews overnight unless you have a quality high-speed blender. If you have a great blender, you can skip this step.

Instead, combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Then, place the dressing in the refrigerator until you plan to dress and toss the salad.

Recipe Variations

Additionally, I suggest adding some protein.  My family, though, likes a little additional love on top, so I made some tempeh steak on the grill and added it to the pasta salad.

• Tempeh Steak
• Grilled Tofu
• Coconut Bacon
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• When making pasta for any pasta salad recipe, always add a pinch or two of salt and ensure the water is boiling before adding the noodles.
• Stir the noodles into the boiling water and then reduce to a simmer.
• Set a timer to avoid overcooking the pasta, and transfer to a colander immediately; rinse the noodles in cold water, and rotate the colander to ensure all the noodles cool and stop cooking.
• Always preheat the oven before roasting the vegetables. Another way to roast vegetables more quickly is to place the pan into a preheated oven for 10 minutes and add the vegetables to a hot pan.
• Place the vegetables on the pan in a single layer so the vegetables cook evenly.
• Cook vegetables with the same roasting time together on a pan together. If roasting vegetables with different cook times, use other pans.

For a fresh taste of summer, make this quick and easy roasted vegetable pasta salad recipe.

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