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Blistered Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

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  • Author: Butter & Air
  • 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

Scale
  • 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. 

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