Chef notes
Pasta salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes. When I was growing up, my mom would make a huge batch to keep it in the refrigerator and pull it out for as many dinners or lunches as possible. It gets even better as it sits in the fridge.
Use my Marinated Grilled End-of-Summer Veggies in this recipe.
Technique tip: Make this the night before you plan to serve it so the ingredients have a chance to fully marinate.
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 pound tri-color fusilli
- 2 cups diced grilled zucchini
- 2 cups diced grilled bell pepper
- 2 cups grilled corn, kernels cut off the cob
- 2 cups diced grilled onion
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 can pitted black olives
- 1/2 pound diced feta
- 2 cups red wine vinaigrette
Preparation
For the red wine vinaigrette:
Combine all ingredients into a container with an air-tight lid and shake vigorously to mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the pasta salad:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Once cooked strain and run under cold water to cool. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl and combine all ingredients. Mix well and let sit overnight.
