Summer Pasta Salad

On summer days, I look forward to checking the tomato vines, watching jalapeño flowers transform into peppers, and grilling as much zucchini as possible.  I hold onto the season as I make overflowing salads and enjoy the abundance that only late summer holds.  Often I combine what is ready to be picked into my ultimate cold pasta salad, which can be served for dinner as easily as lunch.  Sweet corn from the farmers’ market and other gathered vegetables make this dish a true celebration of everything that is summer.

In my creative salads cooking classes, we explore recipes and methods using garden fresh ingredients.  Each forkful of this summer pasta salad offers a different take on the season.  Smoky grilled eggplant and zucchini, sweet corn kernels sliced from the cob, ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and other ingredients promise to combine in new ways.  Since I love a bit of cheese in a pasta salad, goat cheese makes its way into this version, but it can be omitted for a plant-based meal.

Below you will find my recipe, which can be adapted based on what your garden holds.  Keep the proportions, but omit eggplant when your beds overflow with zucchini, for instance.  Summer cooking is at its best when relaxed, flexible, and packed with seasonal flavors.

Ingredients

Dressing

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher and freshly cracked black pepper

Salad

12 ounces spiral or fluted short pasta (campanelle, cavatappi, gemelli and others)
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large ears sweet corn
1 pound zucchini and/or eggplant
1 large or 2 small jalapeños, finely chopped
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
¼ cup finely chopped red onion, soaked and patted dry to mellow
⅓ cup combined chiffonade of basil and chopped leafy herbs such as parsley
4 ounces goat cheese plus optional extra for topping
Optional: ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts

How to Choose the Right Pasta for Pasta Salads

If you’re wondering how to pick the best shape to use in a pasta salad, think about whether a type will hold bits of cheese, herbs, and other ingredients like finely chopped red onion.  The twists of gemelli and the fluted, flower-like ridges of campanelle are examples of shapes that have tiny spaces for pasta salad components, offer an interesting texture, and are quite pretty in the bowl. 

Beyond shape, consider the flavor of the pasta itself.  Durum wheat semolina yields a flavorful pasta that reliably cooks al dente.  With so many types available, choose a good quality pasta so it stands up well to the summer flavors packed in this recipe.

How to Cook Pasta for Pasta Salads

Cooking pasta al dente and cooling it quickly are key steps to ensuring a nice texture.  Package directions are generally a good place to start, however, taste earlier than recommended to ensure you don’t overcook the pasta.  Remember to stir occasionally once the pasta is in boiling water.

While I prefer not to rinse pasta after it cooks, I make sure to spread it on a baking sheet so that it cools quickly.  Drizzle and toss with a small amount of dressing to prevent it from sticking together.

How to Make the Pasta Salad Dressing

Combine the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey in a blender or using a whisk until emulsified.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside while you prepare the rest of the salad. If you plan to make this ahead, I recommend making a double batch of dressing, as pasta tends to soak up the dressing in the refrigerator.

How to Prepare the Vegetables and Make the Summer Pasta Salad

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook pasta until al dente.  Drain and spread pasta on a large baking sheet to cool.  Drizzle with a small amount of dressing if needed to ensure pasta does not stick.

In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.  Remember to soak the finely chopped red onion in a bowl of cold water for about 30 minutes to mellow nicely. Pat dry before using. If your onion is particularly sharp, omit it and try for a sweeter onion next time.

Slice the eggplant and zucchini into rounds just under ½-inch thick.  Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.  Set aside while grill pan heats.

Heat grill pan over medium-high.  When pan is ready, rub olive oil on unhusked corn and grill, rotating on pan as necessary, until corn is charred in spots and fully cooked.  Set aside to cool then slice kernels from cob.  An easy way to begin is by slicing the bottom of each cob so that it has a flat surface. Stand the corn upright on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut from top to bottom, releasing the kernels. Continue turning the cob and cutting from top to bottom as if the cob has four sides.

Cook batches of eggplant and zucchini rounds in single layer on grill pan for about 3 minutes per side until char marks appear and vegetables are cooked but not mushy.  Set aside to cool then slice each round into quarters.

Add pasta to large bowl.  Toss with some of the dressing.  Add the red onion, jalapeños, corn, eggplant, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes, tossing to combine.  Add the goat cheese, herbs, and pine nuts if using and toss again.  Dress additionally, top with more goat cheese if desired, and serve.