Recipe | Classic Pasta Salad

Recipe and words extracted from JoyFull: Cook Effortlessly, Eat Freely, Live Radiantly by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty

Sometimes an occasion calls for a hearty but fresh pasta salad – BBQs, picnics, Tuesdays… Whenever the mood strikes, I whip up a bowl of this recipe, which is chock-full of veggies (courgettes, aubergine, fennel, peppers), fresh herbs and zippy sun-dried tomatoes and olives. It’s also my go-to dish to bring with me whenever I travel because it only gets more delicious as all the ingredients love up on one another, and I know I’ll have something tasty to eat on the plane while feeling like I’m getting some of the good stuff in, too.


Vegan
Serves 4
30 minutes

Roasted Vegetables

1 medium aubergine, trimmed and chopped

1 medium courgette, chopped

1 medium yellow squash, chopped

1 medium head fennel, trimmed and chopped

2 large red peppers/capsicum, chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Dressing

60ml extra-virgin olive oil

60ml fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1/2 tablespoon yellow English or Dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pasta Salad

100g brown rice penne pasta Extra-virgin olive oil

30g finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

25g finely chopped stoned black olives

5g chopped fresh parsley leaves

Method

ROAST THE VEGETABLES: Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss together the aubergine, courgette, squash, fennel, red pepper, olive oil, Italian seasoning, paprika and salt and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables over the prepared baking trays in an even layer and bake until soft and just beginning to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE DRESSING: In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise, agave, mustard, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. Seal the jar and shake well to combine.

ASSEMBLE THE PASTA SALAD: In a medium saucepan, cook the pasta according to package directions. Do not rinse the cooked pasta with cold water, just toss it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the roasted vegetables, cooked pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and parsley. Add the dressing and toss once more to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 40 minutes before serving.

Leftover salad can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Note

Feel free to toss in any combination of vegetables that you like or that you need to clean out of the veggie drawer!

More recipes to try:

Radhi Devlukia-Shetty’s Everything Packed Salad

Chilled Soba Noodle Salad with Creamy Sambal Dressing by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty

JoyFull Book Radhi Devlukia-Shetty

Recipe extracted from JoyFull: Cook Effortlessly, Eat Freely, Live Radiantly by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty

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