BHA & BHT Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Total time55 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

BHA & BHT Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

This vibrant pasta salad is the kind of dish that makes you want to eat with your eyes first — jewel-toned roasted vegetables, glossy green pesto, and peppery arugula all tumbled together in one satisfying bowl. Every ingredient here is whole and recognizable, from the fresh basil and raw walnuts blended into a bright, lemony pesto to the cherry tomatoes that burst and caramelize in a hot oven. That matters a lot when you're avoiding synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT, which tend to sneak into packaged dressings, bottled pestos, and processed pasta products. By making the pesto from scratch and roasting your own vegetables, you sidestep all of that without any extra effort — just real food doing what real food does. The whole wheat pasta adds a nutty backbone that holds up beautifully against the bold flavors, and the baby arugula wilts just slightly when folded in, adding a gentle bitterness that keeps things interesting. A short rest before serving lets everything meld together, so the flavors taste like they've been developing all day even if you just threw it together on a weeknight.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the pasta

8 oz whole wheat rotini or penne
Barilla Whole Grain Rotini Pasta - 16 Oz Kroger 100% Whole Grain Rotini Simple Truth Organic 100% Whole Wheat Rotini Ronzoni Healthy Harvest 100% Whole Grain Rotini Pasta All Natural Stop & Shop Whole Grain Rotini Pasta
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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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