Name: Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 medium eggplant (cut into 1/4-inch slices); 1 zucchini (cut into 1/4-inch slices); salt (for vegetable preparation); 1 tablespoon olive oil (for the vegetables); 1 13 ounce box whole wheat penne pasta; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons high-quality extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 2 roasted red bell peppers (4 halves, thinly sliced); 1/3 cup quartered kalamata olives (pitted); 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese; 6 basil leaves (thinly sliced)

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I may have finally found my ultimate pasta salad. And if you are looking for a Meatless Monday vegetarian recipe, this is definitely one to add to the menu. I will never turn my back on two other favorites, one with salmon, tomatoes and an herb dressing and the other with chicken, plums and cumin dressing. But this new version has everything I want in a pasta salad - smoky roasted vegetables (eggplant, zucchini and peppers), briny kalamata olive, salty feta cheese and fresh strips of basil.

The dressing is nothing more than olive oil and lemon. Because the dressing is so simple, it's important to use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Great ingredients go a long way in producing memorable dishes.

If you are planning to make this salad ahead of time for a barbecue or picnic, slice and add the basil just before serving to prevent any discoloration of the basil.

The recipe:

Lay the eggplant and zucchini slices and a large piece of paper towel. Sprinkle both sides of slices with kosher salt and, using your hands, gently press the salt into the eggplant and zucchini.

Gently press another piece of paper towel over top of the vegetables slices, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This will help to draw some of the bitterness and extra liquid out of the eggplant and zucchini.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Rinse the salt off of the eggplant and zucchini slices, and pat dry with paper towel.

Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. Lay the eggplant and zucchini on the foil and brush both sides of the slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Roast the eggplant and zucchini until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Cut the eggplant slices into quarters and the zucchini slices in half. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to pasta directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Toss the pasta with the lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil and pepper.

Add the eggplant, zucchini, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, feta cheese and basil to the pasta. Stir to combine. Serve, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Other recipes with eggplant:

Cookin' Canuck's Grilled Zucchini & Eggplant Parmesan Recipe {Vegetarian}
Cookin' Canuck's Roasted Eggplant Recipe with Almond Butter Coconut Sauce
Smitten Kitchen's Baked Orzo with Eggplant & Mozzarella
Appetite for China's Sichuan Eggplant
Avocado Pesto's Lao Eggplant Dip