Roasted Summer Vegetable Risoni Salad

This salad is inspired by my food queen, Ina Garten. To say she has been one of my greatest influences in my home cooking would almost be an understatement. I often ask myself, “What would Ina do?” and the answers have never led me astray.

This yummy salad is a riff on one of her recipes. A lovely light main course in summer, and delicious alongside barbecued meats or fish, it’s also a great dish when travelling or cooking in a kitchen that is not your own as it involves only simple preparation and easy-to-find ingredients, with no fancy equipment required. Plus, leftovers hold really well and make excellent picnic food to take to the park or beach.

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Instructions

1.	Preheat your oven to 200°C conventional (180°C fan- forced).
2.	Line a large wide baking tray with baking paper.
3.	Dice the eggplant, capsicums and onion into 2-2.5cm chunks, discarding any stems and seeds.
4.	Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
5.	Add all the vegetables to a large mixing bowl and toss together with the garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and black pepper.
6.	Spread the vegetables on the lined baking tray in one flat even layer, using a second lined baking tray if needed.
7.	Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and browned, flipping them over halfway through using a spatula.
8.	If you are using two trays, swap them top to bottom and bottom to top halfway through roasting.
9.	Remove from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool a bit.
10.	Meanwhile, cook the risoni in boiling salted water until just tender, which is usually about 1 minute less than the timing suggested by the packet instructions.
11.	Drain and set aside to cool.
12.	Once cooled, combine the roasted vegetables and cooked risoni in a large salad bowl.
13.	Mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar or bowl until combined, then drizzle all over the salad.
14.	Add the basil, rocket and feta and toss to combine.
15.	Taste for seasoning and serve.