Blistered Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette is an easy, fresh, super flavorful twist on a classic pasta salad, and the best way to use up the last of that gorgeous summer produce.
A few weeks ago I put a call out on my Instagram feed for recipe requests. (By the way, if you are not following me on Instagram and/or Facebook, you are missing out on behind-the-scenes shenanigans, reviews, and exclusive recipes! Get thee over there!).
Anyway, I got several pleas for dishes incorporating summer greens and veggies. Lots of folks, it seems, are struggling with what to do with an excess of bounty from their CSA boxes and farmers markets.* And are looking for new ways to use them up that aren’t straight-up salad.
I think this dish is a pretty tasty answer. It’s full of roasted, savory flavor and is cool, zesty, VEGAN, and best of all, customizable. It’ll put pretty much any summer vegetable you’ve got straight to work, to delicious effect.
Honestly, I was really happy to develop a vegetable-forward dish, because, you guys? I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time away from my kitchen this summer. All our little summer trips and houseguests somehow got linked together into one whirlwind summer tour. So much fun, and so much outrageous Garbage Eating. A burger with side of face-sized onion rings AND parmesan truffle fries? Well, sure (we did climb a mountain that day). A second scoop of malted caramel ice cream? Why not? Sweet potato fries with marshmallow dipping sauce? BRING IT (it was gross). Listen, I’m a foodie, and I always feel compelled to try everything for blog science. No regrets! It was fun. But it’s time to rein it in.
This salad is great because you can seamlessly substitute or add whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand. I used broccoli, zucchini, and tomatoes because I love their flavors when they’re roasted/blistered. But you could try roasting eggplant, sweet red bell pepper, or even red or golden beets. If you’ve got some sturdy greens such as kale, collards, or cabbage, try sautéing them until tender. And don’t be afraid of finishing the dish with a raw handful of more delicate greens such as arugula or watercress.
We’re all familiar with roasting root vegetables such potatoes, carrots, and turnips, but I also love this cooking technique for summer vegetables. Roasting them on high heat in just a little oil concentrates their flavors and caramelizes their natural sugars. It removes any raw bitterness and adds a toasty, nutty flavor. Yes, please.
You may wonder whether the amount of vegetables called for is excessive, but remember that they’ll cook down and shrink fairly dramatically in the oven. I actually found myself wishing for a few more vegetables in my batch.
I sautéed the cherry tomatoes on the stovetop because I like the resulting blistered effect (they tend to break down more completely in the oven). Cooked for just a few minutes on high heat, the charred tomatoes end up deliciously sweet while retaining their juiciness – perfect in this salad.
The herb vinaigrette is a zesty, herby delight, mixing white wine vinegar and olive oil with sweet red onion, a little dijon for tang, honey for balance, and soy sauce for depth. Handfuls of sweet basil and fresh parsley complement the toasty charred vegetables nicely.
As for pasta, use whatever shape you like. I like short varieties like penne because they’re easier to serve, but if you’re a bow-tie or spaghetti fan, go for it.
This makes a big batch, so feel free to halve it. Although this is one of those dishes that tastes better the longer it sits, as the flavors meld. Think about it: make one dish, and you’ve got dinner, lunch the next day, and … maybe even dinner again? That’s less time spent cooking, AND you’ve used up everything in your CSA box. High five.
*If you’ve got any late summer FRUIT to use up, may I recommend making this, this, or this?
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Blistered Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 – 40 minutes
- Total Time: 40 – 60 mins
- Yield: 12 generous servings 1x
Description
Blistered Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette brings savory roasted flavors to a classic dish, upping the ante with a fresh, zesty white wine dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried penne pasta (or other shape of your choice)
- 1 medium head broccoli (about 5 cups), cut into florets
- 2 medium zucchinis (about 3 cups), sliced 1/2-inch thick and cut into halves or quarters
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed
- (alternatively, use a total of 7-8 cups vegetables of your choice, cut into bite-size chunks)
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- olive oil for roasting
- salt and pepper to taste
VINAIGRETTE
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 TB white wine vinegar (not to be confused with white distilled vinegar)
- 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey (for a vegan dish, omit or substitute 2 tsp granulated sugar)
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp smoked or kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh flat Italian parsley leaves
Instructions
Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Rinse under cold water and set aside to cool.* Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Make the vinaigrette: In a blender, combine olive oil, white wine vinegar, red onion, mustard, honey, soy sauce, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add basil and parsley and pulse until pureed. Set aside.
Drizzle broccoli with 2 TB olive oil, toss with your hands until vegetables are thoroughly coated. and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with zucchini (note that the salt will draw water out of the zucchini, so make sure you salt it – and/or eggplant, if using – about 15 minutes before cooking and then pat dry). I recommend cooking each vegetable on its own baking sheet in order to ensure plenty of space for even browning without steaming. Depending on the size of your oven, you may need to roast in batches. Roast at 425F, turning once or twice during cooking to ensure even browning, until tender-crisp and slightly charred, about 20 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, blister the tomatoes: Set a saute pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tsp oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully add the tomatoes (be sure they are dry when you add them to avoid spattering!). Cook, shaking the pan or stirring with a wooden spoon frequently, until tomatoes begin to char and split, 5-7 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium-low, add garlic, and cook 30-45 seconds more, until the garlic is softened and fragrant. Set tomatoes aside to cool.
When all ingredients are cool enough to handle, pour the vinaigrette over the pasta and stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt if needed, then carefully fold in the vegetables. If you’re using chopped fresh greens, add them now.
If desired, garnish with an extra drizzle of the vinaigrette and some chopped basil and parsley. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
*I know that rinsing pasta is sacrilege to many (and I never do it when making pasta with a hot sauce), but there’s a reason for it here! In this case, rinsing 1) stops the cooking immediately, and 2) it eliminates the starch that can cause cold pasta to become gummy and sticky.
What a great summer time meal, fresh and zingy!!
We’ve got cucumbers coming out the waazoo , please haaalp!!