Ready in just 30 minutes. This Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables is loaded with all of summer's best vegetables, fresh herbs, and tossed in a delicious creamy sauce.
Pair this easy pasta salad recipe with some Sourdough Fried Chicken, Chicken and Zucchini Fritters, Smoked Chicken Wings, Pork Butt Smoked in an Electric Smoker, or Bacon Wrapped Smoked Meatloaf for a perfect summer meal.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables is a perfect summer side dish and is ready in just 30 minutes.
- This side dish is loaded with summer vegetables adding a pop of bright color to your dinner table.
- This pasta dish is really flexible. It is a great way to use up fresh vegetables.
- The creamy sauce is thicken not by cream but with the starch in the pasta cooking water.
Need some more easy side dishes? Try these Baked Kohlrabi Fries, this Grilled Marinated Bok Choy, this Smoked Cream Cheese, this Asiago Creamed Spinach, or this Provel Macaroni and Cheese.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
Fresh Summer Veggies: Some of my favorites are corn, zucchini, red bell peppers, and tomatoes. You can also substitute other vegetables such as yellow squash, mushrooms, eggplant, or broccoli.
Tip: If substituting other vegetables, the roasting times may need to be modified.
Need more ways to use up summer vegetables? Try this Oven Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup, this Garden Vegetable Pasta Sauce, this Sheet Pan Chicken with Zucchini and Tomatoes, or this Sweet Corn Creme Brulee.
Corn: If you don't have any fresh corn you can easily substitute thawed and drained frozen corn kernels.
Tip: When cutting the corn off the cob I like to stand the cob up in the middle of the sheet pan and trim the kernels off. The kernels fall neatly into the pan without flying all over the counter.
Tomatoes: No cherry tomatoes? Use grape tomatoes or you can dice larger tomatoes or add 1 can of drained diced tomatoes.
Chicken Stock: Easily make this dish a vegetarian pasta salad by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
If you have some chicken bones available go ahead and make this Rotisserie Chicken Bone Broth.
Pasta: I've used elbow macaroni but you can easily substitute any other small pasta. Try farfalle, rotini, orecchiette, penne, or bowtie pasta.
Parmesan Cheese: No parmesan cheese? Try substituting salty feta cheese.
Fresh Herbs: Substitute dried herbs for the fresh herbs. Reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons and add them to the simmering pasta.
Spice the dish up with some red pepper flakes.
Grill the vegetables instead of roasting them. If you are already cooking something on an outdoor grill or simply don't want to heat up the kitchen try grilling the vegetable instead of roasting them.
Add Protein: After tossing all of the pasta salad ingredients together toss in some cooked chicken or shrimp or a can of chickpeas.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Chop the zucchini, red bell pepper, and onion into ½ inch pieces. Add to a large sheet pan with the corn and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and mix until the vegetables are evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Roast the vegetables in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 3: While the vegetables are roasting, add the chicken stock, trimmed corn cobs, and elbow macaroni to a large pot and bring to a boil. The corn cob still has plenty of flavors to give as it simmers with the pasta.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 8-12 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking and cook until the pasta is al dente. The pasta should have absorbed most of the broth.
Do not drain the pasta water. Remove the corn cobs.
Step 5: Add the roasted vegetables to the cooked pasta along with the parmesan cheese and butter. Stir to combine.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Top with herbs like fresh parsley or fresh basil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Tips for Perfectly Roasted Vegetables
- After washing the vegetables dry them thoroughly. This will allow the oil to coat them properly as well as reduce the roasting time.
- When roasting vegetables they should be cut into similar sizes for even cooking.
- Sprinkle a little salt over the vegetables before tossing them with the oil. Adding salt will not only season the vegetables and increase their flavor, but it will also help to draw out the excess water.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper to make clean-up easy and prevent the vegetables from sticking.
- Use a pan with low sides. A pan with taller sides will trap moisture and shield the vegetables from direct heat.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I often serve this pasta salad warm but it also tastes amazing chilled in the refrigerator for a day or two. The additional time in the refrigerator gives all of the flavors time to meld together.
Since this pasta salad isn't mayonnaise-based you have a little flexibility but I would not recommend letting this pasta salad go un-refrigerated for more than two hours.
Pasta salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
While the flavor is probably best when eaten fresh, I have frozen this pasta salad. The noodles are slightly mushy but overall the pasta salad still tastes great.
Expert Tips
- If substituting other vegetables, the roasting times may need to be modified.
- If you don't have any fresh corn you can easily substitute thawed and drained frozen corn kernels.
- When cutting the corn off the cob I like to stand the cob up in the middle of the sheet pan and trim the kernels off. The kernels fall neatly into the pan without flying all over the counter.
- Easily make this dish a vegetarian pasta salad by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.
- Substitute dried herbs for the fresh herbs. Reduce the amount to 2 tablespoons and add them to the simmering pasta.
- Grill the vegetables instead of roasting them. If you are already cooking something on an outdoor grill or simply don't want to heat up the kitchen try grilling the vegetable instead of roasting them.
More Side Dishes
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📖 Recipe
Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini approximately 1 cup
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 small onion
- 2 ears of corn approximately 1.5 cups - kernels removed
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- ½ cup of grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- ½ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, etc.
- juice from one lemon approximately 3 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Chop the 1 medium zucchini, 1 bell pepper, and 1 small onioninto ½ inch pieces. Add to a large sheet pan with the 2 ears of corn and 1 pint of cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix until the vegetables are evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast the vegetables in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, add the 3 cups chicken stock, corn cobs, and 2 cups elbow macaroni to a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 8-12 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking. The pasta should have absorbed most of the broth. Do not drain remove the corn cobs.
- Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta along with the ½ cup of grated Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir to combine.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Top with ½ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs ½ cup chopped mixed fresh herbsand freshly squeezed lemon juice.
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