High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Total time55 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

This vibrant pasta salad is the kind of dish that makes you want to eat your vegetables — and then go back for seconds. Caramelized cherry tomatoes, tender zucchini, and sweet roasted red pepper bring deep, jammy flavor, while a bright walnut-basil pesto ties everything together with herby, lemony punch. Peppery arugula and briny Kalamata olives round out the bowl with layers of texture that keep every forkful interesting. One of the sneakiest places high fructose corn syrup hides is in store-bought pesto and bottled salad dressings — ingredients that show up in pasta salads all the time. Here, the pesto is blended from scratch using just fresh basil, raw walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil, so you know exactly what's going into it. Every other component — whole wheat pasta, roasted vegetables, arugula — is equally clean and straightforward. This is a great make-ahead option since the flavors deepen as the salad rests, making it ideal for meal prep or a casual gathering. Serve it at room temperature straight from the bowl and let the ingredients do all the work.

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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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