Roasted Vegetable Summer Salad

For my grandparent’s 65th Wedding Anniversary all the grandkids brought side dishes.  I decided it was high time to create a new pasta salad. 

I roasted up a whole bunch of veggies because, let’s face it, roasted veggies taste amazing.  And, I can actually eat them when they are roasted. 

Then, I tossed them in some pasta cooked in chicken broth, marinated with some olive oil, garlic, onion, and herbs. 

The result was a delicious salad – perfect served hot or cold. 

Roasted Vegetable Summer Salad

Ingredients

• 2 C chicken broth
• 2 1/2 C small shaped pasta
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced onion
• 4 C water
• 1 C chopped broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• 2 C baby carrots
• 2 medium red bell peppers
• 1 medium zucchini
• 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
• 4-6 oz. cherry tomatoes (optional)
• 1 can (~15 oz) Great White Northern Beans, rinsed & drained
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Olive oil

Directions

Place 2 1/2 C small pasta (we used rings, but small shells would work well too) in a large stockpot.  Add 2 C chicken broth (should be enough to nearly cover the pasta; if not, top off with water).  Sprinkle in up to 1/2 tsp. minced garlic and 1 tsp. minced onion.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Once the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid (about 3 minutes of boiling), add in the 4 C of water and continue cooking according to package directions.  Drain. 

Meanwhile, chop up your veggies.  Chop the bell peppers into 1-inch pieces, zucchini into quarters, and mushrooms into quarters.  Halve the cherry tomatoes, if using (I highly recommend doing so!).  Note – it the carrots are thick “baby carrots”, slice them in half lengthwise. 

Arrange the veggies on a large cookie sheet lined with a piece of foil coated lightly in olive oil.  Spritz with additional olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, basil and oregano. 

Roast at 450 for 30-45 minutes until crisp tender and nicely roasted.  Stir occasionally during this time and, if you are using frozen broccoli, you may need to remove the broccoli sooner than the other veggies. 

When pasta is ready and veggies are done, stir them together.  Mist lightly with olive oil to maintain moistness.  Season with additional salt, pepper, basil, & oregano.

Stir in white beans and garnish with dried parsley, if desired. 

Serve warm or chilled. 

This makes a great stand-alone salad, but would also be delicious with chicken either in the salad or along side it.  Grilled chicken would be even better!  Enjoy!