Summer Pasta Salad with Roasted Carrots and Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Basil Vinaigrette

  • 3 cups fresh basil
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • Salt and Pepper
Salad
  • 8 yellow carrots
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt + pepper
  • 1 pound spiral cut pasta
  • 4-6 ounces soft goat cheese crumbled
  • 1 yellow summer squash and 1 zucchini thinly sliced
  • 2 ears fresh corn kernels removed from the cob
  • 8 cups baby spinach
Instructions

Basil Vinaigrette
  1. In a blender or food processor, blend the basil, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and a pinch red pepper flakes until smooth. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Salad
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Toss the carrots together with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the carrots out in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender and charred on the edges.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until a dente. Drain and add the pasta to a large serving bowl. To the pasta, add the basil vinaigrette, toss well. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, fresh corn and spinach. Sprinkle with goat cheese and serve room temp or chilled.