Christmas Pasta Salad

Name: Christmas Pasta Salad
Prep time: 1 h 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped; 1 1/2 cups yellow squash, chopped; 1 cup red onion, chopped; 3/4 cup green pepper, chopped; 3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped; 1 small eggplant, chopped; 3 tablespoons olive oil; salt, to taste; pepper, to taste; 12 ounces whole-wheat penne; 1 cup pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade; 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved; fresh basil, to taste, julienned

Vegetable Christmas Holiday

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

About

Deck your bowl with something jolly! This Christmas Pasta Salad provides a splash of all the festive colors, plus some good eats alongside your marvelous main course. Packed full of bouncy pasta, lots of crispy, crunchy veggies, and a tangy pesto sauce, everyone will be lining up for a scoop of this holiday heaven. Have a holly, jolly Christmas with a never-ending bowl full of Christmas Pasta Salad!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 cups yellow squash, chopped
1 cup red onion, chopped
3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 small eggplant, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
12 ounces whole-wheat penne
1 cup pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
fresh basil, to taste, julienned

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2 -Add the zucchini, the yellow squash, the red onion, the green peppers, the red peppers, and the eggplant to a baking sheet and evenly space them out.

Step 3 -Drizzle the veggie mixture with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and the pepper. Toss to coat.

Step 4 -Roast the veggie mixture, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 45-50 minutes.

Step 5 -While the veggies are roasting, in a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the penne to al dente, according to the package instructions.

Step 6 -Drain the water, then rinse the penne. Allow it to cool, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 7 -Transfer the baking sheet from the oven and place the roasted veggies in a large bowl.

Step 8 -Add the cooked penne to the roasted vegetables and gently mix them together.

Step 9 -Add the pesto to the penne mixture and gently stir to coat.

Step 10 -Season the pasta salad with the salt and the pepper.

Step 11 -Top the pasta salad with the tomatoes and the basil.

Step 12 -Gently toss the pasta salad and serve.

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