Caffeine Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Total time55 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.9

(10)

Caffeine Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

This vibrant pasta salad is the kind of dish that earns a permanent spot in your warm-weather rotation — colorful, satisfying, and packed with bold Mediterranean flavor. Roasting the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell pepper at high heat coaxes out their natural sweetness and gives the edges a gorgeous char that makes every bite interesting. The homemade walnut-basil pesto comes together in a food processor in under a minute, delivering a bright, herby coating that clings beautifully to every twist of whole wheat rotini. A handful of peppery baby arugula folded in at the end keeps things fresh and adds a little bite against the richness of the olive oil. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of caffeine — no tea extracts, no chocolate, no hidden additives — just whole vegetables, nuts, herbs, and good olive oil doing all the work. It works equally well served slightly warm right after assembly or chilled the next day when the pesto has had time to really sink into the pasta. Bring it to a potluck, pack it for lunch, or serve it as a hearty side — it genuinely delivers every time.

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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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