I made this Pasta Salad for a potluck a few days ago and even when I keep saying how ready I am for fall, I’m still enjoying some delicious summer meals!
This salad is a delicious combination of roasted veggies, a homemade poppy seed dressing and tons of freshly grated parmesan cheese. It was all gone! And I was so happy everyone enjoyed it.
Here I roasted zucchini, bell peppers and carrots. I always use whatever veggies I have in hand, I don’t like complications or extra trips to the grocery store.
Full recipe below!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of mini penne pasta (uncooked)
- 1 zucchini
- 1 carrot
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 cup (about) freshly grated parmesan cheese
- **For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Dice the zucchini, carrot and bell pepper about 1/4″ sized. If using bigger size pasta cut bigger chunks. Transfer the veggies toa baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 20 minutes. You want tender veggies but not overcooked.
- While the veggies are baking, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- For the dressing, in a small bowl add the sugar, mustard, poppy seeds and vinegar. Slowly drizzle the olive oil with whisking vigorously. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the dressing to the cooked pasta and stir until well coated with the dressing, gently stir in the veggies, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to the fridge and cool completely. Top with the grated parmesan cheese. Stir and serve. Enjoy!