Vegetarian Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables
This is the kind of dish that makes you genuinely excited about eating your vegetables. Juicy cherry tomatoes burst in the oven alongside tender zucchini and sweet red bell pepper, all picking up those irresistible lightly charred edges that make roasted veggies so hard to resist. The homemade walnut-basil pesto is bright and garlicky with a hit of lemon juice that keeps everything feeling fresh rather than heavy — and because you're blending it yourself, you know exactly what's in it. Whole wheat rotini gives the salad a satisfying, nutty backbone that holds up beautifully to all those bold flavors. Peppery baby arugula folded in at the end adds a gorgeous color contrast and a little bite that balances the richness of the olive oil. It works equally well served slightly warm right after assembly or chilled the next day when the pesto has had time to soak into every curve of the pasta. Whether you're meal-prepping for the week or bringing something impressive to a gathering, this one delivers every single time.
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Learn more →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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