Easy Light Pasta  Salad With Grilled Vegetables

Pasta salad makes the perfect summer side dish.  This is a  light  dish  that  can  be  made   fresh  grilled  vegetables  or  the  ones  left over  from  the  last  batch on  the  grill.   Toss with a  light  vinaigrette  of  lemon and  seasonings  and   you are  good  to go !  Using  grilled  vegetables   and  non dairy   dressing means  means  that  the  salad  keeps  well  in the lunch box or  picnic  basket   for a  few hours.

In fact  we  end   up making  this  into a  meal   at  least  once a  week  in  summer  months.  Reason , I  invariably  throw  in   more veggies on the grill than  we  end up  eating.  My family  suspects that I do it  intentionally , but   it is   still up for  debate  😉 .

Look at  that  zucchini !  Really , can  you blame  if  I go overboard ?

This is   going to  be  my last   post  for  #cookoutweek  this   year .  I thought  it  fitting  to  end  the  week  with a  dish that  can  take  use the leftovers.  There are a  few  different pasta  salads  I love –  tuna and  tarragon is one ,  this grilled  vegetable  one is  another.   Both  are  delicious  in its own  way.

This is  one very simple  recipe.  As I mentioned  above the   vinaigrette is  made  with  fresh squeezed lemon  juice ,olive  oil  and a  touch of  seasonings.  I can make the  vinaigrette ,   pasta  and  the  vegetables , individually   pack and  leave  these  in the fridge. The kids  can  toss the  salad  together as they need  it,  making  it a  healthy snack/meal.  Even  after  mixing  together  the  salad  hold  together  well for a  day or  so.

The other  thing  I love is  that  it is  a vegan pasta salad.  That  was  not intentional. Often  times  leftover  grilled  chicken  and  chunks  of  cheese find  its  way into it  too.   But  when I make it , it  is  always    vegan  as  then  I can be pretty  confident  that  nothing  is  going to  spoil in a  few  hours.  In summer   months  we  are  having a lot  of  fun  busy  and there  are  times   when we forget  to  store  things  in the fridge !

So get set  grilling  and  dont  worry about  going  over board . There is  always  something  to make  with  the leftovers.   In fact you will  find  many inspirations  from all the  other  cookout  week  recipes  here.  Scroll  down  and   check these  out as well.  and  while  you are   at  it , the  raffle  is  still open  click on the  image  and  scroll down to enter !

Here is  how  to make  this  simple  vegetarian pasta  salad  with  grilled  vegetables

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

By Syama

This is  light  meal  or a  side dish  made  with   grilled  vegetables  and  pasta.  It  is  tossed  with a  simple  vinaigrette  made  with  few  pantry staples.  The  summer  flavors  come  alive  in this  dish and it is a  nice  vegetarian/vegan option to add  to your  next  cookout.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

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• 1 Zucchini/ Yellow  squash medium
• 1   Ear Corn
• 1    Sweet Onion 
• 1    Red Bell Pepper Medium

For pasta

• 2 C  Dry Elbow Macaroni
• 1 Tsp  Olive  Oil Cold Pressed/EVOO

For Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp Olive oil Cold Pressed/EVOO
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice Fresh Squeezed
• 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tsp Raw Sugar Use as Needed
• 1/2 Tsp Salt   To taste
• 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper Fresh Ground
• 1 Tbsp Capers Optional
• 1/4 cup Chopped Parsley

Instructions

 

• Slice yellow squash or zucchini in  half  inch  thick strips . Cut red bell pepper into about 3 inch  wide  strips. Slice the  onions  cross  wise  into  ½ inch thick  rounds.  Lightly   brush  the  grill with  oil  and  grill the  vegetables in batches  over  medium high  heat.  Cook on one  side until the  charred  grill marks  appear ,  turn  and  cook on the  other  side.
• Remove  from the  grill cool a little .  Take  the  corn kernels  off the  cob and cut the  remaining vegetables  into into desired  sizes
• Cook the pasta  according to the  package  directions in  plenty   salted  water till   al dente.
• Drain  and   rinse  with   cold  water .  Toss with  1  tsp of  olive oil  and  set  aside.
• Take a  small glass or other non reactive bottle with  tight fitting  lid.  Add  the  oil , lemon juice, salt  and  black pepper  together.  Close  with the  lid  and  shake  well. Taste and  adjust  with sugar.  Add the   capers  and  shake  vigorously   At this  time  you can  refrigerate  all components  individually  for   2  to 3  days .
• In a bowl  toss the pasta  and  vegetables together.  Sprinkle the parsley on top. Pour  the   vinaigrette evenly on top and toss  again . Taste and  adjust  salt  and  pepper if needed.
• Refrigerate   the  left overs  and use  within a  day .

Notes

• I prefer  to  grill the  vegetables over  the  grill pan at  medium high heat.
• Use    leftover  grilled  vegetables to  make  this   salad.
• Other  vegetables  to use are -  egg plant , asparagus and mushrooms.
• For an interesting  add  finely chopped  pickled  beet  into the  vinaigrette  instead of  capers. 

Important: Nutrition Values are estimates. Actuals vary based on ingredients and serving size.

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