Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

We've been having an excellent day here, which is most welcome after a few trying days in the past week. Everyone seemed to have gotten up in a great mood and it hasn't faded. Days like that are so nice.

Lunchtime found us listening to Madeline's Tropical birthday party cd mix (from last year), singing and dancing along as I made our lunch. A bagel, string cheese, and grapes for Logan. Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad for me. Plain pasta, diced peaches, and a string cheese for Madeline. Followed by some yogurt covered raisins for all (Logan's new favorite!).

The pasta salad was first inspired by really wanting one of these sandwiches. We only had basic wheat sandwich bread, so instead I roasted what vegetables I had in the fridge and tossed it with some pasta. The whole wheat pasta makes it a filling meal with powerful complex carbs that help keep me going through the afternoon. In a word, it was YUM.

Logan ran out back while Madeline and I finished up eating and clearing the table and counters. She had the sweetest smile as she beebopped to the music in her high chair. Then it was upstairs to get ready for naps and quiet time. A lovely day for all!

What was your favorite thing today?

Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad
a goodLife {eats} creation

• 1 1/2 c whole wheat penne, cooked
• 1/4 c of each of the following: red potato, tomato, purple onion
• 1/3 c of each of the following: zucchini, yellow bell pepper, and mushroom
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 tsp dried basil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• freshly grated parmesan, asiago, or romano cheese

Dice the red potatoes in 1/4 inch cubes. They should be the smallest since they take the longest to cook. Dice the tomatoes in 3/4 inch chunks, slice the purple onion, yellow bell pepper, and mushroom. Slice the zucchini in half moon pieces about a 1/4 inch thick. Toss all the veggies with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spread veggies over baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees until the potatoes are tender. (I used my toaster oven and cooked them as long as it took the water for the pasta to come to a rolling boil + the 12 minutes to cook the pasta). Toss vegetables with pasta and serve topped with your choice of freshly grated cheese.


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