Fresh and easy warm pasta salad with Roasted cherry tomatoes and Eggplant. A great light pasta dish, perfect for the warm days coming ahead. You can serve this Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Pasta Salad as a side dish with some grilled meat on the side or garlic bread. I enjoyed it just as is with extra Parmesan cheese on top.
Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Pasta Salad
Tomato and Eggplant together is such a great combination. It is amazing with rice, risotto, on toast and pasta too. Sweet juicy cherry tomatoes with the creamy eggplant makes the dish so delicious.
The best part of this Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Pasta Salad is that it tastes great even at room temperature. You can pack it for your Beach Picnic, or potluck party.
If you like chicken and got some left over roasted chicken, add that for extra bite. You can also add some shrimp to the salad to make it more filling.
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Ingredients for this easy Pasta Salad
Here is what I used for the pasta salad
- Cherry tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Pasta - I used chickpea pasta, but you can use regular flour pasta too.
- Easy lemon Parmesan salad dressing - recipe provided in recipe card
- Salad Greens
EXTRA TOPPINGS YOU CAN ADD :
- Chicken bites
- Shrimp
- Pickled red onion
- capers
- Crispy fried tofu
- Chopped cucumber and celery
- Boiled chickpeas
What about the salad dressing ?
This lemon Parmesan salad dressing is my go-to dressing for any pasta dish. It is zingy and so refreshing.
You need:
- Lemon zest and Juice
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- You can add some chili flakes for some subtle heat
How to prepare this Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta Salad
Season the eggplant and cherry tomatoes with salt and drizzle a little oil. Bake at preheated oven 400 F for 20 minutes.
Once done, prepare the salad dressing. In a big bowl add lemon zest, juice, salt, pepper, grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Whisk to make the dressing.
Drop the roasted eggplant and tomatoes
Add the boiled pasta and give it a toss.
Scatter some salad green and mix it around
Grate more Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy the Pasta Salad.
Can you make the dish in advance?
Boiling the pasta and making the dressing takes less than 10 minutes. If you have to make in advance, you can roast the tomatoes and eggplant a day in advance and add it to the pasta salad when making the dish.
We eat Pasta at least once a week, and we have always been a big fan of light pasta, especially on warm days. This Pasta Salad acts as a lovely blank canvas to add your choice of vegetables and protein. It is great for parties, outdoor picnic, potluck gatherings and even for lunchbox.
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Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- ½ of a globe eggplant (diced into bite size)
- salad greens
- 8 oz pasta (I used chickpea pasta)
for the dressing
- zest of a lemon and juice of half the lemon
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 400F
- Layer the cherry tomatoes and eggplant on a cookie sheet. Drizzle a little oil and season with salt. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Prepare the salad dressing in a bowl by whisking, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.
- Boil the pasta as per the package instruction.
- Toss the roasted eggplant and tomatoes along with boiled pasta with the dressing. Add the salad greens and toss again.
- Add Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy.
Notes
EXTRA TOPPINGS YOU CAN ADD :
- Chicken bites
- Shrimp
- Pickled red onion
- capers
- Crispy fried tofu
- Chopped cucumber and celery
- Boiled chickpeas