Warm Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Pesto Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 15 ounce chickpeas rinsed cooked drained canned (or)
• 1 medium eggplant cut into 3/4 inch cubes (or)
• 2 cups basil fresh packed
• 1 head garlic 
• 8 ounces grape tomatoes 
• 0.3 cup kalamata olives pitted sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms quartered
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 
• 1 medium onion red coarsely chopped
• 8 servings pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 16 ounces rotini pasta gluten-free whole wheat ( or )
• 2 tablespoons walnut pieces chopped
• 1  bell pepper red yellow sliced
• 2 medium zucchini quartered cut into 3/4 inch pieces

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven

Directions

1. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Put the head of garlic in a corner of the baking sheet, and place in the oven. Stir after 15 minutes and add the bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Cook until mushrooms have softened and tomatoes are beginning to collapse, about 10 more minutes.
3. Remove from oven, reserve the head of garlic, and place the other vegetables in a very large serving bowl. (If your oven is small, see the Notes below.) While the vegetables are cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions.
4. Place the basil in a food processor. Squeeze out 4-6 cloves of roasted garlic (or however many you like) and add it to the food processor, along with walnuts and nutritional yeast, if you’re using them. Pulse 6-8 times to chop the walnuts.
5. Add the vinaigrette and process until smooth.
6. Add dressing to pasta and vegetables, stir well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Serve at warm, at room temperature, or chilled.