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Bright and flavorful Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad is orzo pasta with vegetables, all tossed in a simple homemade dressing. An easy side dish that’s fresh, colorful and always gets rave reviews. So great for make-ahead lunches and cookouts! Enjoy it warm or cold!
When I’m looking for the perfect salad to bring to a party or potluck, I turn to favorites such as Mexican street corn pasta salad, avocado black bean salad, and this fabulous roasted vegetable pasta salad.
Pasta salad is a must this time of year! We enjoy them for lunches around the pool, at potlucks, and picnics. And I often make some type of pasta salad when I’m entertaining family and friends. I made this orzo pasta salad for a recent barbecue and it was a huge hit!
It’s definitely my new favorite – it’s packed with plenty of colorful veggies, hearty orzo pasta, and an easy vinaigrette for a flavor combination that can’t be beat.
Ingredients needed
This pasta salad recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients and fresh veggies. Feel free to swap in your favorite veggies and herbs – this salad is very flexible. Here’s the lineup:
- Orzo. I love using orzo pasta in this salad because it doesn’t overwhelm the fresh veggies, but you can use any type of pasta you’d like, including whole wheat or gluten free pasta. Just note that if you use a large pasta, it may be necessary to increase the olive oil and vinegar.
- Veggies. We’re using bell pepper (any color), zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. However, feel free to mix and match based on what you have in your fridge, too!
- Olive oil + vinegar. You’ll want a bit of olive oil for roasting up the veggies. And a mix of olive oil and either balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar makes up the vinaigrette.
- Flaky sea salt. Brings all of the flavors together.
- Optional add-ins. Totally optional, but highly recommend for bright fresh flavor – chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice finishes this salad with that special something.
How to make this recipe
Orzo pasta salad with roasted veggies is such an easy recipe to toss together! The most time consuming part about making this salad is cutting up and roasting all the vegetables.
- Roast veggies. Once you’ve cut all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, place them on a baking pan and into the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes and until fork tender.
- Boil pasta. While the vegetables are roasting, you can prepare the pasta. If you’d like to serve this dish cold, run the pasta under cold water to cool it down.
- Toss the salad. Once the veggies are done, combine them in a large bowl with the cooked orzo. Drizzle on the ¼ cup of olive oil as well as the vinegar, optional herbs, and additional salt. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, if you’d like, and toss to coat everything. ENJOY!
Customize your salad
There are tons of delicious ways to really make this easy roasted veggie pasta dish your own! Here’s some options:
- Add protein. This roasted veggie pasta salad is a great base for extra proteins. Keep it vegetarian by adding a can of chickpeas or tofu, or mix in chicken or shrimp!
- Different veggies. Roasted broccoli, mushrooms and/or brussels sprouts would also be delicious.
- Grains. You can swap out the orzo pasta for other grains such as couscous, bulgur wheat or quinoa.
- Cheese. Add in crumbled feta cheese, shaved parmesan or goat cheese for a different flavor. Use vegan, dairy free cheeses as desired.
- Herbs. Amp up the flavor by adding in your fav herbs, such as dill, basil or chives.
Make ahead
Pasta salad tastes better over time! If you’re able to, make this dish a day or so before serving. You can also save on prep time by cutting up the vegetables and making the dressing up to 8 hours before you plan to serve the salad.
Storage tips
Store this veggie pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about 3 to 4 days. It’s delicious eaten hot or cold, so feel free to dig in straight from the fridge or warm it up a bit in the microwave! Before serving again, give it a good stir, taste and season again as needed.
This roasted veggie pasta salad is so tasty and easy to make. Perfect for a lighter lunch or healthy side dish. You’re going to love this addition to spring and summer meals!
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
More easy pasta salad recipes
Looking for more delicious pasta salads? Give these favs a try:
Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ pound orzo, uncooked
- 1 bell pepper, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large zucchini, diced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red onion, small, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil, good quality for dressing
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, I used balsamic
- ½- 1 teaspoon of flaky sea salt to taste
- Optional: chopped fresh herbs, I love a small handful of fresh basil in this!
- Optional squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a large baking tray (I like to line mine with a silicone mat or parchment paper).
- Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain and set aside. If you’d like to serve the pasta salad cold, you can run the pasta under cold water to cool it down.
- Meanwhile, place all of the veggies on the baking tray so that everything is spread out evenly. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat.
- Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until the veggies are fork tender. I like mine to still have a little crunch to them but if you want them softer, you can bake for a few more minutes.
- Once the veggies are done, combine them in a large bowl with the cooked orzo. Drizzle on the ¼ cup of olive oil as well as the vinegar, optional herbs, and additional salt. Toss to coat everything and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
