Make use of all those fresh summer vegetables with this light and flavorful Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette.
I’ve used zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and red onion, but you can pretty much use any vegetable you have in your garden or your refrigerator. Eggplant and broccoli would also work well as would some corn.
I threw the vegetables on a grill pan to soften them up and get that nice char that really brings out their flavor. I also added some grape tomatoes, (didn’t grill them but you definitely could), and some fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
The dressing is a light and fresh Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette that really complements the flavor of the vegetables and isn’t at all heavy.
Pasta salad makes the perfect summer side dish, or even light meal, and I find myself making it almost weekly during the summer. Leftovers are a great way to feed hungry teenagers who seem to become ravenous at unexpected times without warning.
There are so many variations of pasta salad, I don’t think I will ever tire of it. Some of my other favorites besides Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad are Caesar Pasta Salad, Cobb Pasta Salad, Greek Pasta Salad, and Easy Macaroni Salad.
What is your favorite pasta salad variation?
Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 yellow squash
- 1 zucchini
- 1 red onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound corkscrew pasta
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup julienned fresh basil
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
Instructions
- Cut yellow squash and zucchini in half lengthwise and then into half moon shapes. Cut red bell pepper and red onion into approximately 2-inch chunks. Place together in a medium bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. When hot add vegetables. Grill until they develop nice grill marks and then flip over and continue to cook until softened. Place in a large bowl.
- While vegetables are grilling, bring a large pot of water with at least 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with water. Drain well and add to bowl with grilled vegetables.
- In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and thyme. Gradually whisk in oil. Add basil.
- Pour dressing over pasta and vegetables. Add tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
What a pretty pasta salad! And just love a lemon basil vinaigrette. Pinning!
Thank you Geraldine! There’s something about a lemon basil combination that’s just so perfect for summer 🙂
Love cavatappi–this pasta makes everything taste great, and texture is perfect!
This salad is so beautiful! Looks perfect. Pinned!
Your salad looks great!! Can we add some feta cheese!!
Michael 🙂
https://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/vanilla-ice-cream-2/
Thanks Michael! Some feta cheese would be wonderful in it! 🙂
Mmmmmm i love lemon-based dressings – perfect for summer!
I love pasta salad in the summer…esp when it involves tons of fresh basil. That scent is like heaven to me 🙂
This is looking so refreshing and healthy. I would like to try this recipe for my daughters.. I am curious if they would like it. They love pasta so this might be a winner.
What a beautiful salad!! In a zucchini/eggplant mode and I think I would pick those out first and eat them especially in that vinaigrette!
Such a gorgeous pasta salad! I love all the pretty veggies in here and the lemon-basil dressing sounds so light and tasty!
Must get over my fear of The Grill!!! This salad is just one more reason I have to venture outside to cook 🙂 Looks delicious!
This is such a gorgeous pasta! I love all of the colors!
Christin, I love ALL of your awesome pasta salad recipes, but this one may be my new favorite. I LOVE grilled veggies in the summertime and it definitely could never hurt to throw ’em together with some pasta and dressing! Gorgeous gorgeous photos, girl! Pinned.
Thank you Sarah! You have some pretty awesome pasta salad recipes too 🙂
Your photos are so beautiful. I wish I could reach in and grab a bite. I love everything about this salad. Grilled veggies and that lemon basil vinaigrette sound delicious!
Wish I could dig into your photos and take a bite of your grilled vegetable pasta salad. It looks terrific.
I love this dressing for the salad! Sounds so refreshing for a picnic!
I love pasta salads, and one of my favorites is a Greek orzo one. Any pasta salad with tons of veggies like this is going to be a favorite of mine! 🙂
I finally got in so I can comment. For some reason your site would not open in Safari (my browser needs updating) so I tried google chrome and it worked. Anyway glad I am here, lovely salad and I love roasting vegetables and adding to rice or pasta. YUM!
Such a gorgeous salad – I never seem to be able to put together a delish vinaigrette and your Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette fascinates me!
What a beautiful salad, Christin! I love all the veggies you used in here. And that dressing sounds amazing! So perfect for the summer. I’m headed to my farmer’s market this weekend, so I might just have to try this out. Pinned!
Pasta salads are one of my summer staples indeed! I love this version, it sounds absolutely delish with the grilled veg and parmesan!