Buzz Savories Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
Buzz Savories Pasta Salad stands above the many pasta salad because the garden vegetables are softened on the grill and bits of char add more flavor. The simple dressing includes Buzz Savories Honey Mustard. The earthy flavors of the dressing compliment the vegetables and the pasta. Serve this salad for lunch, dinner and snacks in between.
Servings 8 people
Equipment
- 1 barbecue grill or black iron skillet or flat top grill
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini quartered lengthwise
- 1 eggplant cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 large yellow onion, cut horizontally into 1/2-inch-slices (about 4 to 5 slices)
- 1 red bell pepper halved (vertical cut) and seeded
- 1 yellow bell pepper halved (vertical cut) and seeded
- 2 Tb olive oil for grilling
- 2 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 6 Tb apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tb Buzz Savories Honey Mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cloves garlic - grated or sliced thin and diced
- ⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat a grill to medium-high (400 Degrees F to 450 Degrees F) . Drizzle zucchini, eggplant, onion, and bell peppers evenly with 2 Tb. olive oil; sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Arrange sliced onions on oiled grill grates over lit side of grill. Grill covered until onion slices are slightly charred on both sids, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to onlit side of grill; grill, covered, until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add bell peppers, zucchini, and eggplnt to lit side of grill. Grill, covered, , until slightly charred an softened, about 3 minutes per side, flipping vegetables halfway through cooking time. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Each of the above steps may be managed in a black iron skillet on your stove top or a flat top grill or a stove top grill.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high. Cook pasta according to packge directions.
- Meanwhile, whisk together cider vinegar, Buzz Saories Honey Mustard, garlic, remaining 2 Tb olive oil and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until well combined/emulsified, about 30 seconds; set dressing aside.
- I pour the salad dressing ingredients in a food processor and mix for half a minute then taste. I usually add more salt and sometimes a teaspoon of vinegar. A stick mixer works well too.
- Chop vegetables into about 1 inch pieces. Add to dressing in the bowl along with cooked pasta and basil; toss. Serve chilled or room temperature.
- This salad may be prepard a day (or more) before serving. Grilling the vegetables, combining the dressing, pouring over a warm pasta tastes great too!