Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad

Submitted by jovigirl

"What a beautiful, colorful dish! Found in Family Circle magazine"

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• Dressing

• 1⁄3 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

• Vegetables and Pasta

• 2 sweet red peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• 2 sweet green bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 medium summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 large red onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 3 medium tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise
• 1 lb dried linguine, cooked following package directions
• 1⁄4 cup firmly packed fresh basil, rinsed, dried and cut into thin strips
• 1⁄2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

directions

1. Dressing: In medium-size bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until oil is thoroughly incorporated. Stir in garlic, thyme and oregano. Set aside half of the dressing for the pasta.
2. Vegetables and Pasta: Prepare outdoor grill with hot coals or heat gas grill. Lightly brush grill grid with vegetable oil. Generously brush peppers, zucchini, squash, onion and tomatoes with some of the remaining dressing.
3. Working in batches, grill the vegetables about 3 minutes per side or until fork-tender, about 18 minutes total. Brush the vegetables with additional dressing halfway through the grilling. Remove the vegetables from the grill and keep warm.
4. In large bowl or on serving platter, toss together cooked pasta with reserved half of dressing and any remaining dressing used for grilling vegetables. Toss in basil and mozzarella cheese. Arrange grilled vegetables over top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Reviews

[echo echo]

The thyme was what MADE this dressing for me, even though I had to substitute 1 tsp dried for the 1 Tbs fresh (I did use fresh oregano, though). I just made a half-recipe of the salad but a full recipe of the dressing, so I can use it again on another salad. I also substituted fettucini for the linguini and havarti for the mozzarella. I cooked the veggies just until al dente and loved their semi-crunchiness combined with the tang of the dressing--thanks for an attractive, inspiring salad!