Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

This pasta salad (part of this menu) started as just using up whatever vegetables I had in the fridge, but I'm really delighted by how it turned out. A little bit fussy in how I cooked the different vegetables, this salad still comes together quite quickly, and can be served hot or cold.

Why is pasta salad so delicious?!? I had similar feelings about this tempeh "tuna" noodle salad. Whole wheat macaroni, in particular, has such a great texture and is fun to eat. And whole wheat pasta is actually quite good for you, with lots of fiber and protein.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Ingredients

2 c uncooked whole wheat macaroni (4 servings)

1 c chickpeas, rinsed

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1 bell pepper

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1 c broccoli crowns, cut into bite-sized pieces

1-2 TB olive oil

1/4 tsp smoked salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

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8 oz button mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces

1-2 TB olive oil

1/2 tsp smoked salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp dried marjoram

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5 more garlic cloves

1 tsp olive oil

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1/4 c olives (I used stuffed manzanilla olives), coarsely chopped

1-2 scallions, sliced

2 tsp basil (I used dried but fresh would be great)

1 tsp dried oregano

2 TB olive oil

1/4 c white wine vinegar (plus more to taste)

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1/4 c trader joe's red pepper spread

1-2 TB sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Cook macaroni until al dente, rinse and mix with chickpeas in a large bowl or container. Set aside.
2. Over a low gas flame on the stove, roast the bell pepper, turning every two minutes until mostly blackened and soft. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. While the pepper is roasting, toss the broccoli with olive oil, smoked salt, and red pepper flakes and put in a baking dish. Toss the mushrooms with garlic, smoked salt, and marjoram and put in a baking dish. Toss the 5 remaining garlic cloves in olive oil, and put in a baking dish as well. Roast until each vegetable is sizzling and slightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside. Note: you could put these all in the same dish, separated by foil. The garlic will be finished first, then the broccoli, and finally the mushrooms, which is why I didn't just mix them all together.

4. Gently rub the blackened areas off of the pepper. Cut the pepper into bite-sized strips and discard the middle parts. Coarsely slice the roasted garlic cloves.

5. Place the broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, and pepper into a large container with olives, scallions, basil, and oregano. Add olive oil and vinegar and stir. Let sit at least 15 minutes.

6. Mix marinated roasted vegetables in with pasta and chickpeas. Add red pepper spread and sesame seeds and mix well. Taste for salt, red pepper flakes, and vinegar, adding more as desired. Serve warm or cool. Serves about 5-6.