Recipe video above! 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 flavour while hot before mixing through pasta. This is a big, fat JUICY flavour loaded pasta salad that lasts for days and days - see PRO TIP for keeping pasta salads juicy!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Marinating30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Mains, Side Dish
Cuisine: Western
Keyword: Grilled vegetable marinade, Grilled vegetables, vegetable pasta salad
Servings: 8- 10
Calories: 513cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
400g / 14ozcurly pasta, dried (or other of choice)
Marinate veggies - Transfer vegetables into large bowl, pour over 1/2 the Dressing. Toss, then leave to marinate for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Cook pasta + 2 minutes: In large pot of salted water, cook pasta per packet directions but ADD 2 minutes to the cook time (Note 5 for why). Drain and return pasta into pot.
Add vegetables, including veg juices, into the pasta pot. Add remaining Dressing and parsley, then toss. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly.
Serve! Sprinkle with feta and serve! Keeps 4 - 5 days, serve at room temp.
Make ahead PRO TIP (Note 4):
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.
Freshen up pasta salad: Bring to room temp or briefly microwave (cold pasta = dry) to warm gently. Toss with Reserved Dressing then serve.
Notes
SERVINGS: Serves 5 to 6 as a meal, or 8 - 10 as a side.1. Vegetables - 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!
25 min roasting - listed veggies, cauliflower, carrots, corn on cob (cut kernels off), parsnip, root veg, pumpkin
No cook - olives, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and other pickled/antipasto veg, tomato, cucumbers, leafy greens.
2. Herbs - you want 2 tsp in total, just sub / double up on what you have. Or use a Mixed Herbs or Italian Herbs.3. Chilli Flakes - aka red pepper flakes. I use 1 tsp because I like the buzz of heat!4. PRO TIP to keep pasta salads juicy when making ahead (as they tend to dry out the next day) - increase volume of dressing by shaking it up with pasta cooking water. Starch in water emulsifies with fat in dressing = more dressing volume, same amount of flavour = can reserve some dressing = juicier pasta salad.Also, cold pasta is drier. Let it come to room temp or even microwave briefly, the toss with reserved Dressing!5. Cook pasta until extra soft because pasta firms up when cool. By cooking the pasta beyond al dente, it keeps the pasta softer even when refrigerated. So much more pleasant to eat!6. Storage - Great fresh, even better on Day 2! I've kept this for 4 - 5 days and it still tasted great, I added a squeeze of fresh lemon. Best served at room temperature.7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 8 serves.