Ditalini Pasta Salad

I love a good pasta salad in the summer, and this Ditalini Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that just tastes like the season. It’s fresh, flavorful, and such a great way to use up all those summer veggies. I roast zucchini, bell pepper, and eggplant until they’re golden and just tender, then toss them with ditalini pasta, a big scoop of pesto, and a little feta for a salty bite. It’s simple but so, so good. You can totally use store-bought pesto to keep things easy or use a homemade pesto to keep costs down. Either way, this dish is perfect for picnics, potlucks, or meal prep for the week!

Easy Ditalini Pasta Salad Recipe

If there’s a pasta salad that belongs at every summer table, it’s this super easy ditalini pesto pasta salad. I don’t use any fussy ingredients or complicated steps to make it. Just roasted veggies, a good scoop of pesto, a sprinkle of feta, and those tiny pasta tubes.

I like ditalini better than larger pasta shapes, such as rotini, in this recipe (even though I love that shape in a classic pasta salad) because it holds onto the pesto in all the right ways. It also makes this dish super easy to scoop and eat, especially if you’re standing around at a cookout with a paper plate in one hand and a drink in the other. 😉 Other small pasta shapes will work, too, like orzo or small shells, so feel free to use what you’ve got!

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Ditalini Pasta Salad

This easy Ditalini Pasta Salad is packed with roasted summer veggies, tossed in pesto, and finished with a sprinkle of feta. Delicious & meal prep friendly!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost $8.67 recipe / $1.08 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Chill Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings (1 cup each)

Calories 253kcal

Author Jennie Alley

Equipment

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Medium Pot
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

• 1 cup zucchini medium dice, $0.75
• 1 cup red bell pepper medium dice, $1.48
• 2 cups eggplant medium dice, $1.49
• 2 Tbsp olive oil divided, $0.35
• 1 tsp salt $0.04
• 1 tsp garlic powder $0.12
• ½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.08
• 8 oz ditalini pasta $0.83*
• ¾ cup pesto $2.22
• ¼ cup feta cheese $1.31

Instructions

• Gather all ingredients and preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a large bowl, toss the zucchini, red bell pepper, and eggplant with 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ditalini pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, roasted vegetables, pesto, and feta. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
• Chill for at least 1 hour before serving for best flavor. Garnish with additional feta cheese when serving if desired. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Ditalini can be swapped for any small pasta shape like small shells, elbows, or orzo…whatever you have on hand works!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 566mg | Fiber: 3g

how to make Ditalini Pasta Salad step-by-step photos

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Roast the veggies: Add 1 cup diced zucchini, 1 cup diced red bell pepper, and 2 cups diced eggplant to a large bowl. Toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp black pepper.

Spread the seasoned vegetables onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Be sure to turn the pan halfway through for even roasting.

They should be tender and starting to brown around the edges once done. Just enough to bring out their sweetness without turning mushy.

Cook the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 8 oz. ditalini pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

Assemble the salad: Add the cooked pasta, remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, roasted vegetables, ¾ cup pesto, and ¼ cup feta to a large bowl. Toss to evenly coat everything in the pesto.

Chill: Now chill your ditalini pasta salad for an hour before serving. This gives the flavors time to meld and makes the salad extra refreshing. If you have any extra, sprinkle over additional feta cheese (optional), and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Variations

1. Roasting the veggies at high heat brings out a nice caramelized flavor. I think it adds so much more than just tossing them in raw. You can roast other veggies like cherry tomatoes or onions if you want to mix it up.
2. Don’t want to turn the oven on? Yep, I get it. If you’re making this pesto pasta salad in the middle of a heatwave, you can grill your vegetables instead. They’ll still get that nice char and smoky flavor, and it keeps the heat out of the kitchen. Just slice them a bit thicker so they hold up on the grill, then chop and toss them in like usual.
3. I’ve served this ditalini pasta salad warm, at room temperature, and chilled, and it’s delicious in every way.
4. For a protein boost, I’d add some diced grilled chicken, canned chickpeas (rinsed), or grilled shrimp.
5. If you’re making this ahead for a potluck or picnic, give it a quick toss before serving to freshen it up!
6. You can use any pesto you like. I went for a basil pesto here, but our kale pesto would also work well.

Serving Suggestions

Like I mentioned above, this salad goes perfectly with grilled meats, so if the grill’s already going, you may as well make some grilled corn, too! I think it’s also great when served as part of a bigger summer spread with things like beet salad, sliced watermelon, and a couple of easy dips with toasted pita or crackers. It will seriously hold its own at any potluck, BBQ, or party!

This ditalini pesto pasta salad also works as a simple side next to spinach-stuffed chicken breasts or Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers for a midweek meal, and the leftovers are delicious for lunch the next day.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and they’ll stay fresh for up to four days. Just give the salad a quick toss before serving since the pesto can settle a bit as it chills. I don’t recommend freezing this one, as the veggies and pasta tend to lose their texture once thawed.

More Easy Pasta Salad Recipes

Orzo Pasta Salad

$9.99 recipe / $1.24 serving

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

$10.67 recipe / $2.66 serving

Tuna Pasta Salad

$4.83 recipe / $0.81 serving

Tortellini Salad

$14.41 recipe / $1.20 serving

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Grilled Vegetables

There is no summertime meal that cannot be improved with a heaping side of perfectly Grilled Vegetables! These grilled veggies take very little prep time, and they’re the best option on fridge clean out day (which makes my busy life 100x easier and saves me money!). I’ve perfected grilling all kinds of vegetables including peppers, onion, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms for the ultimate summer feast. Each healthy bite is infused with a smoky, summery flavor, and this recipe seriously couldn’t be any easier.

Easy Recipe for Grilled Vegetables

Grilling vegetables to perfection takes practice, but with this very simple and quick method, I promise you’ll never serve another soggy vegetable again. The secret? Less is more! Get that grill nice and hot to achieve those stunning grill marks. Bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and yellow squash soften quickly, so they only need a few minutes on each side. The onions take a little longer to get those caramelized edges we all love, so they go on first.

Any leftovers can be added to all kinds of salads, pasta salads, sandwiches, and more. I could go on all day about the virtues of grilled vegetables, but I’ll spare you and let my easy recipe do the talking!

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Grilled Vegetables

With just a few ingredients and my easy grilling method, these grilled vegetables are the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Amercian

Total Cost $7.75 recipe / $0.97 serving

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings (about 1.5 cups each)

Calories 67kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

• Indoor Grill

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini $1.02
• 1 red onion $0.99
• 8 mushrooms $1.04*
• 1 yellow squash $1.10
• 8 mini bell peppers or 2 large bell peppers cut into ¼s, $1.44
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes whole on vine, $1.66**
• 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil $0.33
• 1 garlic clove minced, $0.04
• 1 tsp steak seasoning divided, $0.12
• ½ tsp sugar $0.01***

Instructions

• Slice zucchini lengthwise, about ¼ inch thick, using a mandoline on the thickest setting or a knife. Cut red onion into thick rings, destem mushrooms, and cut yellow squash into thick discs, about ¼ inch thick. Rinse bell peppers and cherry tomatoes.
• Whisk together olive oil, minced garlic, ½ tsp steak seasoning, and sugar in a bowl.
• Brush olive oil mixture over the veggies.
• Add onions to the grill while preheating to 400 degrees. Add all other veggies to the grill and grill for 4 minutes, until you get distinct grill marks.
• Flip and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes or until veggies are done to your liking. I like my grilled vegetables to still have some bite to them, so I am careful to not overcook them! Onions can cook a bit longer and become nice and sweet when they cook down a bit (and help flavor the grill for the other veggies as well!)
• Sprinkle on the remaining ½ tsp steak seasoning and (optional) serve with our chimichurri.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

*You can substitute any mushroom for the baby bella mushrooms. Mushrooms are forgiving when it comes to grilling, and they all taste amazing, pretty much no matter what!

**You can use any tomato instead of the cherry tomatoes on the vine, but I recommend leaving them whole. The outside will get some nice color, and the inside will be warm and flavorful. They may burst a little but will remain mostly intact if you are gentle with them.

***A little sugar helps the veggies caramelize and get those beautiful grill marks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 10mg | Fiber: 3g

how to make Grilled Vegetables step-by-step photos

Prep the vegetables: Rinse all your veggies under cold water, excluding the onion. Pat them dry before chopping.

Using a knife or a mandoline slicer on the thickest setting, cut 1 zucchini lengthwise, about ¼ inch thick, and remove both ends. Remove the dry skin from 1 red onion and cut it into thick rings. Next, remove the stem from 8 whole mushrooms and cut 1 yellow squash into ¼ inch thick discs. The 8 mini bell peppers should be left whole, and the 6-8 cherry tomatoes should still be attached to the vine.

Make the seasoning mix: In a small bowl, whisk together 1½ Tbsp of olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ tsp of steak seasoning, and ½ tsp sugar.

Season the vegetables: Brush the olive oil marinade over your veggies, covering all sides.

Grill the onions first: Add the sliced onion rings to your grill as it preheats to 400°F.

Add the other veggies: Once the grill is fully heated, flip the onions and place the remaining veggies on the grill. Grill the vegetables for about 4 minutes until you get distinct grill marks.

Flip the vegetables and grill them for an additional 3-4 minutes or until they’re cooked to your liking. I like my grilled veggies to still have some bite, so I’m careful not to overcook them! I like the onions to cook for the longest as they become nice and sweet when they cook down (and they help flavor the grill for the other veggies!).

When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, sprinkle over the remaining ½ tsp steak seasoning and (optional) serve with our chimichurri.

No summer BBQ is complete without a generous serving of these easy grilled vegetables!

Recipe Success Tips

1. My rule for cooking vegetables using any technique is always: less is more! If you think they’re done, pull them off. There’s nothing wrong with a little crunch. It’s always preferred to an over-cooked, soggy veggie. Seriously, don’t stress over a side dish when you have a fun cookout happening in the background!
2. Please DON’T boil any of the veggies in this recipe before grilling! You’ll have a huge mess on your hands. Trust me, the high heat of the grill will cook them quickly and evenly without any need for pre-cooking. I’d only suggest parboiling denser vegetables like potatoes or carrots because they need more time to cook through. But for the vegetables in this recipe, grilling them directly is the way to go.
3. Want to use the oven? Try our recipe for roasted summer vegetables and save this one for when you’ve got the grill fired up!

Serving Suggestions for grilled vegetables

I couldn’t help but make a big bowl of our chimichurri sauce to serve with this recipe for grilled vegetables. It’s tangy and goes perfectly with the smoky flavors from the veggies. Add in some grilled chicken and stovetop baked beans, and you’ve got yourself an easy summer dinner! These veggies are also perfect for mixing through a summery pasta salad.

Storage Instructions

This grilled vegetables recipe is great for making ahead of time. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I like to add them cold to salads or sandwiches, but you can also reheat them in a pan or on the grill for a few minutes until heated through.

Favorite Cost effective grill

When I was looking for a grill for us to use in the Budget Bytes kitchen, I wanted one that was easy to find, simple to set up, easy to clean, and didn’t make me miss my charcoal grill. I went with the Ninja Sizzle Smokeless Grill after contemplating a few different ones that would be widely available at Walmart, Target, and Amazon. We have been super happy with it in the Budget Bytes kitchen.

The cheapest grill option I found was a simple and small camping charcoal grill. That’s also a great option if you want to grill outside, get that smokier grill flavor, and don’t mind keeping charcoal on hand.

More Grilled Recipes

Grilled Salmon

$9.27 recipe / $3.09 serving

Grilled Corn On The Cob

$3.15 recipe / $0.78 serving

Grilled Chicken

$9.02 recipe / $2.25 serving

Grilled Cabbage

$3.74 recipe / $0.62 serving

Our Grilled Vegetables recipe was originally published 7/15/24. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 7/5/25.

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