Herby Pasta Salad With Tempeh Bacon & Roasted Vegetables
★★★★★
PREP TIME
25 minutes
COOK TIME
35 minutes
SERVES
12
Ingredients
1/2 cup
extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting the vegetables
2 cups
finely chopped fragrant herbs (such as 1 cup finely chopped mint, ½ cup finely chopped basil, ¼ cup finely chopped oregano, ¼ cup finely chopped chives)
3 tablespoons
white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons
packed brown sugar
1
garlic clove, grated
2 cups
broccoli florets (from 2 small crowns)
1
medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut to ½-inch dice
1
small red onion, cut into ½-inch dice
1/2 pint
grape tomatoes
1 pound
medium-length pasta (like rotini, penne, or fusilli)
3 tablespoons
soy sauce
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon
white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons
maple syrup
2 teaspoons
smoked paprika
1 teaspoon
garlic powder
1
(8-ounce) package tempeh, cut to ½-inch dice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F, arrange two racks in the center of the oven, and have two baking sheets lined with parchment nearby.
- Make the dressing: In a large serving bowl, add ½ cup of olive oil, the chopped herbs, white wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Let all the flavors marry while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Add the broccoli florets, bell pepper, onion, and tomatoes to one of the baking sheets. Toss generously with olive oil, salt, and black pepper, and bake on one of the racks for 8 to 10 minutes while you prepare the tempeh.
- Marinate the tempeh: Add the soy sauce, olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and garlic powder to a medium bowl, and whisk together until combined. Add the tempeh pieces and toss to coat. Allow to marinate for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Very generously salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil.
- Shake the excess marinade from the tempeh—there won’t be much—and spread the pieces out on the second baking sheet. Bake alongside the vegetables for another 18 to 20 minutes, tossing and basting the tempeh with any extra marinade halfway through until the pieces are slightly charred and browned.
- When the vegetables and tempeh have just 10 minutes left of cooking, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Remove the vegetables and tempeh from the oven—the vegetable should be slightly charred around the edges, and the tomatoes beginning to blister and burst. Let cool, while you drain the warm pasta and add it to the bowl of herbs.
- Toss everything together, making sure the pasta gets well-coated with the herbs before adding the cooled tempeh and vegetables, tossing gently to distribute. Season lightly with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Eat right away, at room temperature, or save in the fridge for later.
