Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad is an easy summer pasta salad that is the perfect summer side dish for hamburgers, hot dogs and everything in between!
Give me all the Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad. This is one easy summer pasta salad recipe you will want at every meal, party and just because.
There is nothing better than grilling vegetables.
Much like roasting, it brings out the natural sweetness of the veggies.
Pair grilled vegetables with high fiber red lentil pasta, cheese and a delicious pasta salad dressing and you’ve got a winner of a side dish.
I will be the first to admit, when it’s summertime, the last thing on my mind is pasta BUT if it’s a light, better for you pasta, fork’s all in!
You see this grilled vegetable pasta salad uses Mazola® Corn Oil in place of extra virgin olive oil.
Secondly, I left out any type of meat. Therefore, this is a vegetarian grilled pasta salad for all my veggie loving friends.
Lastly, I swapped in red lentil pasta, which is super high in fiber and a great protein substitute, over regular pasta.
By using Mazola corn oil, which has a neutral taste, it really allows the vegetables to shine.
I’ve used Mazola Corn Oil before in these delicious Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Bars <—–highly recommend.
So, Mazola is perfect as an all-purpose, cholesterol free cooking oil that is a smart heart-healthy choice for your family. It has a variety of uses, including baking, grilling, sautéing, stir frying, or mixing up a marinade or dressing.
It has a smoke point higher than most cooking oils at 450°F and performs well in a variety of cooking applications. Many home cooks may not realize that all cooking oils have a smoke point that, once exceeded, not only negatively affect the food’s flavor and nutritional value.
GRILLED VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD
It couldn’t be easier to make this grilled vegetable pasta salad.
HOW TO MAKE GRILLED VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD RECIPE
- Start by lightly brushing vegetables with 2 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place vegetables onto grill and grill for 3-5 minutes until charred and slightly tender. Remove and cool slightly.
- While the vegetables are cooling, place a pot full of water onto the stove and bring to a boil. When it’s reached a boil, season with salt and cook red lentil pasta according to package directions (8-10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, cut vegetables into 1/2 inch pieces and place into a large bowl.
- Into a small bowl or mason jar, add 1/4 cup Mazola Corn oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and whisk or shake to combine.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the large bowl with the vegetables and pour 2 tablespoons of dressing over the top. Toss to combine. If it seems to dry, add more dressing.*
- Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and chopped basil.
WHAT IF I CAN’T FIND RED LENTIL PASTA?
No worries! Red lentil pasta can be easily be subbed.
You can make:
Grilled Vegetable Orzo pasta salad by swapping in orzo
You can swap in chickpea pasta for the red lentil pasta. You could also use quinoa.
Heck, go ahead and use regular white pasta if that is all you have on hand.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A GRILL?
Again, no worries.
You can easily follow the same steps but place the vegetable brushed with oil into the oven and roast the vegetables.
It will take longer to roast the zucchini, onion and the bell peppers than the asparagus and cherry tomatoes.
You could also use an indoor grill pan.
Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad is a perfect summer vegetable side dish!
Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad is an easy summer pasta salad that is the perfect summer side dish for hamburgers, hot dogs and everything in between!
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 yellow bell pepper, quartered
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/2" slices
- 1/2 pound asparagus, end trimmed
- 6 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces Red Lentil Pasta
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Lightly brush vegetables with 2 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place vegetables onto grill and grill for 3-5 minutes until charred and slightly tender. Remove and cool slightly.
- While the vegetables are cooling, place a pot full of water onto the stove and bring to a boil. When it's reached a boil, season with salt and cook red lentil pasta according to package directions (8-10 minutes)
- Meanwhile, cut vegetables into 1/2" pieces and place into a large bowl.
- Into a small bowl or mason jar, add 1/4 cup Mazola Corn oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and whisk or shake to combine.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to the large bowl with the vegetables and pour 2 tablespoons of dressing over the top. Toss to combine. If it seems to dry, add more dressing.*
- Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and chopped basil.
Notes
*Always start with a little bit of dressing and slowly increase.
If you are making this ahead, reserve some dressing to toss after refrigeration as salad can become dry while in the fridge.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 6 servingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 225Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on strawberryblondiekitchen.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Elisa Luna says
I like your recipes very much, and I have used Mazola for many years. E
Megan | Strawberry Blondie Kitchen says
Thank you so much! ?
Sara says
Tried Last week came out delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Megan | Strawberry Blondie Kitchen says
So glad to hear that! Thank you!