This hearty pasta dish pleases a crowd of people with different food preferences. It’s a satisfying dinner with leftovers for a pasta salad lunch. Roasted veggies, pasta and arugula are all that needed for this salad. The dressing is simple by blending the roasted garlic and tomatoes together in a blender. 

Tomatoes are a powerful food that supports the liver and gallbladder. If you’ve heard not to eat nightshades, which include tomatoes, Anthony William says in the Medical Medium Blog not to worry. Tomatoes are full of micronutrients, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals including lycopene that help prevent diseases.

Onions have antimicrobial properties, and help support the liver, according to the same article. Having a healthy liver is key to having a healthy life. 

Garlic is a strong antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-cancer and anti-viral food. It is one of the world’s oldest medicines, and a delicious way to keep our body healthy. 

Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad

• Servings: 4-6
• Print

Credit: adapted from https://www.medicalmedium.com/blog/roasted-veggie-pasta

Ingredients

4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup sliced red onion
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced asparagus (see notes)
10 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
12 ounces gluten-free pasta, cook according to package directions
4 cups arugula
Additional sea salt, dulse, and/or black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread out the tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, carrot, asparagus (see notes), and garlic on two baking trays lined with parchment paper and roast the vegetables for 20 minutes until tender.

Place 5 roasted garlic cloves the in a blender along with 1 1/2 cups of the roasted tomatoes, the lemon juice, sea salt, and the optional red pepper flakes. Blend the ingredients until a light, smooth tomato sauce forms.

Prepare 12 ounces of gluten-free pasta according to the directions on the packaging. Drain the pasta and transfer to a mixing bowl. Toss the pasta in the tomato sauce. There should be just enough sauce to lightly coat the noodles.

Add the remaining roasted tomatoes, red onion, zucchini, asparagus, and garlic cloves.  I like to chop up the garlic cloves. Toss gently to combine. Serve the pasta over a bed of arugula if desired, and add an optional extra sprinkle of sea salt, dulse, and/or black pepper to taste.

When fresh asparagus isn’t in season, I use 1 package of frozen asparagus. Cut the partially frozen asparagus into 1″ pieces and steam until just cooked. Add to the pasta with the roasted vegetables.