Lentil Pasta Salad

Lentil Pasta Salad

This lentil pasta salad is one we keep coming back to, honestly. It's the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself thinking about all week. Roasted veg, hearty lentils, and pasta all tossed together, it's filling and fresh at the same time which is a combo we never get tired of. The flavours are proper Italian, think thyme, oregano, sweet peppers and fennel doing their thing in the oven. Make this tonight and you'll be glad you did.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large roasting dish
  • Food processor
  • Griddle pan
  • Large serving dish
  • Pasta cooked & cooled before assembling

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 400g lentil pasta
  • 2 clove garlic cloves
  • 2 courgettes - cut into 1cm cubes
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 x 180g jar of sun-dried tomatoes
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 block of plant-based halloumi
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1

To cook the pasta

  • Start by bringing a pan of water to the boil then pour in the pasta and season with a pinch of salt, allow to cook as per the instructions on the packet
  • Once the pasta is cooked drain and leave to cool
2

Roast the veg

  • Dice the courgette, red onion, peppers and fennel into chunks similar in size and tip into a large roasting dish
  • Finely chop the garlic and add to the dish along with the dried thyme and oregano
  • Finish with a generous glug of olive oil, salt and pepper and two wheels of lemon
  • Mix everything together and roast for 20 - 25 minutes until the veg has softened
3

For the toppings

  • Start by slicing the plant based halloumi into six equal chunks
  • Then place a griddle pan over a high heat
  • Add the halloumi into the pan and after 2-3 minutes flip over to bar mark the other side
  • Once the halloumi is done place on a dish and drizzle with maple syrup
4

For the dressing

  • Blend all of the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor and season with salt and pepper to taste
5

Time to serve

  • Mix the lentil pasta with the roasted vegetables and sun dried tomato dressing
  • Tip into a large serving dish and top with the halloumi a scattering of rocket and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Make it your own: We love this with whatever veg needs using up. Aubergine, cherry tomatoes, and butternut squash all work brilliantly here, just chop them to a similar size so they roast evenly.
  • Serve it two ways: This is genuinely great warm straight from the oven but it's also an amazing next-day lunch straight from the fridge. Ian actually prefers it cold, the flavours deepen overnight.
  • Seasoning matters: Don't be shy with salt and pepper, especially on the roasting veg. A good drizzle of olive oil before they go in the oven makes a real difference to how they colour up.

Why This Works

The trick is letting the veg properly roast rather than just warm through, that's where all the flavour comes from. Once those courgettes, peppers and fennel start to caramelise, everything gets sweeter and more intense, and that's what makes the whole salad sing. Letting the pasta cool before tossing everything together also means nothing goes soggy, which makes a big difference.