Roasted Chipotle Vegsta Salad

(This recipe is gluten-free and nut-free, and can be made dairy-free and egg-free,)

To be honest, I find vegetables pretty bland and boring. Even pasta does very little to save the plainness. However, this roasted vegetable pasta salad is anything but boring; and the key is chipotle mayo. It adds a nice, flavorful kick to make this blend perfect. The best part? They make a vegan version!

Quantities for this recipe will make a fairly large batch.

Ingredients:

-       1 box of gluten-free rotini pasta (I recommend Barilla red lentil rotini)

-       1 zucchini

-       ½ a red onion

-       ½ a bag of carrot chips (any carrots are fine, I just prefer this cut)

-       Olive oil

-       Salt

-       Pepper

-       Garlic Powder

-       Oregano

-       2 tbsp. of butter

-       1 jar of chipotle mayo

-       Lemon juice

How to Make:

1)    Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2)    Chop the red onion into bite-sized chunks, using the rings of the onion. Cut the zucchini into round slices, halving the rounds if needed. Place all chopped vegetable, adding the carrot chips, onto the baking sheet.

3)    Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, stirring to make sure all pieces are coated. Spread the vegetables evenly on the pan. Sprinkle the entire pan liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Bake for 10-12 minutes (until the vegetables are soft enough to be pierced by a table fork).

4)    While the vegetables are roasting, cook the rotini pasta according to the box directions. Drain and place back in the pot with the butter, stirring until the noodles are coated.

5)    Once the vegetables are finished baking, remove them from the pan and add them to the pot of pasta. Sprinkle the mixture with a fair amount of lemon juice and stir. Stir in enough of the chipotle mayo that it lightly coats the mixture.

6)    Serve and enjoy!