Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

by Susan Hanna

This summer I’ve been making many of the recipes in Canadian cook and author Greta Podleski’s new cookbook Every Salad Ever. It’s a great cookbook, containing recipes for salads made with grains, greens, pasta and beans. It also includes recipes for all the classics. This grilled vegetable pasta salad is simple and tasty. Make the dressing and cook the pasta. Grill peppers, zucchini, onions and mushrooms and then toss with the dressing and pasta. Add basil and feta, toss again and serve. Cook’s note: I omitted the mushrooms. Instead of using grill baskets, I cut the vegetables into larger pieces and cooked them directly on the grill, then cut them into bite-sized pieces after they were cooked. I threaded the onion wedges onto a skewer to cook them; otherwise they tend to fall through the grill grates.

Makes about 10 cups of salad.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Acetaia La Bonissma balsamic vinegar, which has no added sulfites, freshly squeezed lemon juice, pure maple syrup, President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard and Tre Stella feta cheese. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic
• ¼ tsp (1.25 ml) sea salt
• 1/8 tsp (0.6 ml) freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces
• 1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces
• 1 medium yellow zucchini, cut into ½-inch- (1.25-cm) thick rounds
• 1 medium green zucchini, cut into ½-inch- (1.25-cm) thick rounds
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 6 wedges
• 8 oz (227 g) whole cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 13 oz (375 g) uncooked bow-tie pasta
• 1/3 cup (82.5 ml) chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup (250 ml) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

Dressing

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad

1. Preheat the grill to high and spray two grill baskets with oil (or brush oil onto the baskets). Add chopped vegetables and mix well. Place baskets on grill, reduce heat to medium and close lid. Cook vegetables for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
3. Add grilled vegetables and cooked pasta to a large bowl and mix well. Recombine the dressing and add to the salad, along with the basil and feta. Mix again and top with more black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

From Every Salad Ever