This Summertime pasta salad is bursting with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes that are smothered in fresh herbs, fresh corn, and zucchini roasted at a high temperature to caramelize them, and then tossed in orzo pasta and finished with salty, tangy feta cheese.
This salad is perfect for bringing to your next docktail party, backyard barbeque, potluck, or as a side dish to any entree.
Mix and match any herbs you like, or use one cup of your favorite fresh herb.
Roasted Vegetable Summertime Pasta Salad
Sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, zuccini tossed in fresh herbs roasted and tossed in orzo pasta with a dressing made from roasted garlic and shallots and finished with feta cheese
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh corn cut from the cob
- 2 each medium zucchini cut in 1/2 inch dice
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves whole garlic
- 1 large shallot cut in half
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 whole lemon, zested, and juiced
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chopped herbs, two good pinches of salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, and three tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well.
- Remove one tablespoon of the herb mixture and set aside.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the bowl with the remaining herb mixture and toss to coat evenly.
- Add the cut shallot and whole garlic cloves and toss to coat.
- On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots in a single layer and place them in a 300° oven for one and a half hours, stirring halfway through.
- Do not wash your bowl, as it has remnants from the herb mixture, and we want to keep that goodness.
- While your tomatoes are roasting, cut the corn from the cob and add it to your bowl.
- Cut your zucchini and add to the corn.
- Add that one tablespoon of herb mixture you set aside, plus one tablespoon of olive oil to your corn and zucchini and toss to coat evenly; set aside.
- Bring six cups of salted water to a boil and add your pasta, stirring well.
- Cook the pasta for 9 minutes, drain and cool down with cold running water, toss with a bit of oil to keep it from sticking and set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, one good pinch of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper.
- When your tomatoes come out of the oven, remove the garlic cloves and shallot.
- Add the tomatoes to your cooked pasta.
- On the same baking sheet, add the corn and zucchini and roast in a 400° oven for 16 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Add the garlic and shallot to your food processor and give it a couple of whirls to puree it all up.
- On a measuring cup, combine ½ cup olive oil and ½ cup vegetable oil.
- With the motor running on the processor, slowly add the oil mixture to emulsify your dressing.
- Add the dressing to the pasta, and mix well.
- When your corn and zucchini come out of the oven, let them cool for about 15 minutes.
- Add them and the feta to your pasta and mix well.
- let chili in the fridge for about three hours or best, overnight.
Nutrition
Calories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 6gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 282mgPotassium: 389mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 815IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!