Marinated Vegetarian Pasta Salad
A colorful and vibrant dish packed with fresh vegetables, pasta, and flavorful dressing, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Pasta and Vegetables
- 400 g curly pasta (dried or other of choice)
- 2 capsicum capsicum/bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, cut into 2.5cm / 1" pieces)
- 1 red onion red onion (cut into wedges)
- 1 eggplant eggplant (halved lengthwise, then cut into 1.25cm / 0.5" thick semi-circles)
- 2 zucchini zucchini (cut into 1.5cm / 2/3" chunks)
- 200 g button mushrooms (halved, large ones quartered)
- 1 bunch asparagus (ends trimmed, cut into 5cm / 2" lengths)
Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ tsp each dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme
- ½ - 1 tsp chili flakes adjust spice to taste
Cheese and Seasonings
- 120 g feta (crumbled into big chunks)
- ¼ cup parsley (roughly chopped or chives)
Instructions
Make Marinade/Dressing
- In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice, minced garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, dried herbs, and chili flakes. Whisk until well mixed.
Roast Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and asparagus with a little olive oil and salt. Spread them on a baking tray and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until tender.
Prepare Pasta Salad
- Cook the curly pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, roasted vegetables, crumbled feta, and parsley.
- Pour the marinade over the salad and toss everything together gently.
Notes
This salad can be made a few hours in advance or even the day before. Just keep it in the fridge and let the flavors meld together. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, adding extra dressing before serving if needed.