Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad with Walnut Pesto

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a roasting pan combine zucchini, summer squash, onion, fennel, sweet peppers, and eggplant. Drizzle with the 3 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring twice. Transfer to a very large bowl; cool.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and cool slightly. In a large bowl combine pasta and the roasted vegetables.

For pesto, in a blender combine garlic, the 1 cup torn basil, the cheese, and walnuts; cover and pulse with several on/off turns until chopped. With blender running, gradually add the 1/2 cup oil, the lemon juice, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add the pesto to pasta-vegetable mixture, stirring gently to coat. Stir in cherry tomatoes. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. Serve at room temperature. If desired, sprinkle with additional basil.