Artificial Flavors Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Total time55 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.9

(10)

Artificial Flavors Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

This vibrant pasta salad is the kind of dish that makes you feel genuinely good about what you're eating — colorful, satisfying, and built entirely from real, whole ingredients. Every element earns its place: blistered cherry tomatoes, charred zucchini, and sweet roasted red pepper bring deep, caramelized flavor that no artificial shortcut could replicate. The pesto is blended fresh from basil leaves, raw walnuts, garlic, and lemon juice, so you get a bright, herbaceous sauce without any of the mystery additives that sneak into jarred versions at the grocery store. Whole wheat pasta adds a nutty backbone, while peppery baby arugula folded in at the end keeps everything lively and fresh. A handful of Kalamata olives is optional, but they add a briny punch that ties the whole bowl together beautifully. This is the kind of recipe where reading the ingredient list is actually a pleasure — nothing to decode, nothing to second-guess.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the pasta

8 oz whole wheat rotini or penne
1 tsp salt

For the roasted vegetables

1 pint (10 oz) cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch half-moons
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
⅓ cup raw walnuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the salad

2 cups baby arugula
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and toss to coat, spreading the vegetables in a single layer.
2
Roast the vegetables for 20–22 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the zucchini and pepper are tender with lightly charred edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

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