Lemon and Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad

Nothing like a little dreary Ohio weather to make you reach for lemon zest to brighten up a recipe, and hopefully, your day! This week's recipe highlights a few of the vegetables in the box, and feel free to substitute what you got if it's different than what you see here! If you got sweet potatoes, you can add those! If you didn't get onion, add extra eggplant! The cauliflower this week has a few little brown spots, but that is okay! It is actually a sign of oxidation that occurs naturally over time, but is not a sign that the cauliflower is not fresh. Just trim the edges away, the underneath is perfectly good and ready to be used this week!

When I think of pasta salad, I think of my mom's recipe with the pepperoni, pre-made dressing and olives, but this week, we are putting a different spin on the classic. We're adding roasted veggies and making a lemony vinaigrette to brighten the dish up. This salad is perfect on a bed of greens with grilled chicken, or eaten as is, as a side dish with dinner! Let's get to it.

Lemon & Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad serves 6 Ingredients 1/2 a head of Perfectly Imperfect cauliflower 1/2 of a Perfectly Imperfect eggplant 1/2 of a Perfectly Imperfect onion 1 Perfectly Imperfect bell pepper 1 cup uncooked pasta, I used orzo 1 lemon 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1 tsp minced garlic 1/4 cup olive oil salt & pepper to taste

Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425. Dice eggplant, cauliflower, onion, and bell pepper into evenly sized pieces and arrange on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray, and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, until veggies are golden brown. 2. While the veggies roast, cook 1 cup of pasta to box instructions, strain, and add to a large mixing bowl. 3. Next, make the dressing. Zest & juice your lemon, and combine with the minced garlic, olive oil, parsley, and salt & pepper. Mix well and set aside. 4. Once the veggies are cooked through, add to cooked pasta, and combine with vinaigrette. You can eat it slightly warmed from the veggies, or chilled in the refrigerator!

We hope this recipe makes its way to your table this week, and be sure to tag us on Instagram, @perfectlyimperfectproduce, so we can keep up with your foodie journey! Enjoy!