Roasted Eggplant and Asparagus Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 2 eggplant, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
• Garlic powder, or to taste
• 1 (1 pound) package whole-wheat penne pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil, or as needed
• 1 1/3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch salt-free seasoning blend
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place a baking rack in the top of the oven.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Spread asparagus spears and eggplant slices on the baking sheet, and drizzle vegetables with 1/4 cup olive oil; sprinkle with garlic powder.

Roast the asparagus and eggplant in the preheated oven until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool. When cool, roughly chop the vegetables; set aside.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through but is still slightly firm, about 9 minutes. Drain well.

Transfer about 1/4 of the penne at a time into a large salad bowl, drizzling each batch with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese. Stir between additions.

Stir in roasted asparagus and eggplant, lemon juice, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until thoroughly combined.

Sprinkle pasta salad with salt-free seasoning and black pepper.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the pasta salad until thoroughly chilled and the flavors have blended, at least 3 hours.