I pinned this Grilled Veg Pasta Salad on Pinterest a while ago from Better Homes and Gardens site, and knew I had to make it!
It features lots of seasonal grilled veggies, pasta, and some great Balsamic dressing. What’s not to like?
I threw in some fresh basil from my outdoor garden; I thought it would be perfect with the Balsamic.
I was right…this salad is a great way to celebrate the great bounty of the summer. You can mix it up and put any grilled veggie you’d like, or even add some grilled chicken for a one meal summer dinner.
Next time, I would make with wheat or whole grain pasta. The balsamic turns the otherwise white pasta a darker color, so no one knows its wheat or multi grain. Otherwise, if you want the pasta to stay a white color, use White Balsamic vinegar. And you can use a smaller portion of pasta to a larger portion of veggies, if you don’t want as much pasta.
Add some great bread like I did (I had it with the Bread Shed’s Cranberry Pecan Power Bread I just found this weekend), which is EXCELLENT by the way, if you’re lucky enough to be near Keene, NH! Check out their website for locations to buy their bread. You will be glad you did!
Either way you slice it, this salad is a great way to celebrate Summer!
Like this great Galvanized Individual Serving Dish? Check out my store to get your own!
PrintGrilled Veg Pasta Salad
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 1 red sweet pepper, stemmed, seeded, and quartered
- 1/2 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
- 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups cooked whole grain rotini pasta
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 packet of Good Seasons Italian dry salad dressing
- 1 tablespoon dried (or 2 tablespoons fresh) oregano, chopped
- 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Lightly brush vegetables with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- For a charcoal grill, place vegetables on the rack of the grill over medium-hot coals. Cover and grill for 3 to 5 minutes for asparagus, turning once, and about 10 minutes for the zucchini, sweet pepper, and onion, turning once, or until vegetables are tender. Remove and cool slightly. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add vegetables to grill rack and grill as above.)
- Cut vegetables into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with pasta in a large bowl. Add remaining oil, balsamic vinegar, good seasons, salt, and black pepper to pasta mixture; toss to coat. Top with fresh oregano and, if desired, Parmesan.
- Category: Salad
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