Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad with Tomato Dressing
This Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ or a fun family picnic at your favourite park, why not try this easy pasta salad recipe with a twist on the tired old mayo-drenched variety. With its bright grilled veggies and fresh tomato dressing, it’s both healthy and fun. Feel free to change up the types of grilled veggies and pasta if you’d like — Fuseli or bowties will also work well.
Prep time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4
Cook time: 12-15 minutes (depending on the type of pasta)
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 2-3 very ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped or 1 cup (140 g) very ripe cherry tomatoes (for a variety of flavours and colour, you can use a mix of red, orange and yellow cherry tomatoes)
- 1 fresh garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
Pasta
- ¾ lb (340 g) penne (or other short pastas — you can also substitute whole wheat pasta)
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and quartered (use a variety of colours to brighten the dish)
- 2 green or yellow zucchinis, sliced lengthwise, about ¼-inch (5-mm) thick
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 cups (280 g) tomatoes, halved (various colours)
- ¼ cup (10 g) fresh herbs, finely chopped (basil, oregano and parsley)
Preparation
Dressing:
- In a blender, finely chop the tomato and garlic.
- Add the oil and vinegar.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve, if desired.
Pasta Salad:
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with olive oil.
- Preheat grill on medium heat. Brush grate with olive oil.
- Brush the bell peppers and zucchini with olive oil and season with salt.
- Set the vegetables directly on the grill, cook for 4-6 minutes, or until slightly soft, flip over halfway through.
- Roughly chop grilled vegetables and place in a large bowl.
- Add pasta, cherry tomatoes, herbs and dressing. Toss gently to mix. Adjust seasoning to taste.