Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

Every summer brings a new favourite salad recipe for me, and this is the 2016 winner. Full of my favourite ingredients (arugula! goat cheese! roasted beets!) it's one I've enjoyed several times already this summer. Whether I serve it as a salad entree on a warm evening, or take to work for a healthy lunch, it's a terrific addition to my regular rotation!

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Pasta Salad

(inspired by Half Baked Harvest and Barefoot Contessa)

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Beets
6 golden beets
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of half an orange

Salad
2 1/2 cups dry rotini or other short pasta
6 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
2 small zucchini (preferably one green and one yellow), halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons
2 ears corn, or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
2 cups arugula, lightly packed

Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and store in the fridge until ready to use.

For the beets, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tops and roots of the beets and peel them with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets in 8 segments, and toss with olive oil and salt. Roast for 40 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula to ensure they're evenly cooked. Remove from oven and toss immediately with balsamic vinegar and orange juice.

For the salad, prepare rotini according to package directions.

If using ears of corn, boil for 1-2 minutes then remove corn from ears. If using frozen corn, boil for 1 minute.

Crumble the goat cheese in a large bowl, and add the hot pasta. Add vinaigrette and combine until the goat cheese has melted. Add zucchini, corn and arugula. Add beets on top, and serve warm or at room temperature