In the midst of summer there is nothing better than a beautiful pasta salad dish to serve to your guests. This Luke Mangan recipe is the perfect dish to add to a barbeque dinner or have on it’s own. Meat lovers will still love this vegetarian dish, and we know that your vegetarian friends will be asking for the recipe in no time!
A good pasta doesn’t have to include meat or seafood, if you use good quality ingredients. Also I think it is important to include some meat free dishes to your weekly menu; it’s an ideal way to use up all your lovely vegetables and add something truly decadent like a drizzle of some good truffle oil or some fresh parmesan cheese.
This pasta salad recipe is great for feeding the masses; it’s a perfect side dish or a meal in itself and will satisfy even the fussiest of carnivores. Enjoy!
Serves: 6
Ingredients
250g penne or other pasta
2 large red onions, sliced thickly
2 zucchinis/courgettes, trimmed, cut lengthways into thirds
1 eggplant/aubergine, trimmed, cut lengthways into slices about 1cm thick
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 2.5cm wide strips
1 large field mushroom
4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup semi-dried tomatoes
Cracked pepper to taste
1tbsp unpitted kalamata olives, to garnish
4tbsp fresh grated parmesan, to garnish
Dressing 2 garlic cloves, crushed
3tbsp balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper
2tbsp Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp fresh oregano
1tbsp chopped fresh sage
1tbsp chopped fresh basil
1tbsp chopped fresh chives
1tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Method
1. Cook the penne in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling water until al dente. Drain and allow to cool.
2. Meanwhile, place all the vegetables, except tomatoes, into a large bowl. Toss with olive oil and grill on the barbecue or pan-fry until they are tender. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer the vegetables to a chopping board and roughly cut into chunks, not too fine. Place all the vegetables in a bowl; add the semi-dried tomatoes and the penne.
To make the dressing
Whisk the garlic, balsamic vinegar, mustard in a bowl and season with pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until mixed through. Then add the chopped herbs and mix well.
To Serve
Toss a little dressing into the vegetable salad. Top with olives and parmesan.
Serve.
Feature image via pinterest