As cooking (and eating) often move outdoors for summer, pasta salads can be a versatile, seasonal accompaniment to meats off the grill or prepared foods taken to your fresh air destination of choice. This dish of penne in a roasted garlic vinaigrette — tossed with fresh mozzarella, chopped tomatoes, salt-cured olives, grated cheese, herbs and seasonings — is a crowd-pleasing, flavor-forward compliment to any event under the sun or stars. We especially recommend using organic penne rigate from San Francisco-based Flour + Water as their attention to texture really holds the sauce, and the clean flavor and toothiness are the perfect compliments to this bountiful salad.
Buon appetito!
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Summer Pasta Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
4
servings30
minutes40
minutesIngredients
For the pasta:
1 pound 1 any short, high-quality dried pasta
1 pound 1 fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 cup 1 salt cured black olive, pitted
4 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup 1 chopped parsley or torn basil
For the Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette:
1 bulb 1 garlic with the top sliced off horizontally
1 cup 1 + 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup 1 grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/3 cup 1/3 Red Wine Vinegar
1 tablespoon 1 dried Italian seasoning (or simply oregano)
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
Directions
- FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Brush the teaspoon of EVOO over the exposed garlic cloves.
- Wrap the bulb in tin foil and place in the oven.
- Roast for 40 minutes, until the bulb is fragrant and soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the vinegar and a pinch of salt.
- Slowly whisk in the EVOO until an emulsion forms.
- Unwrap the garlic bulb and squeeze the cloves into the vinaigrette.
- Add the Italian seasonings.
- Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Whisk all of the ingredients together.
- Set aside.
- FOR THE PASTA:
- Put on a large pot of water to boil.
- Add a palmful of salt to the water.
- Add the pasta and stir until the water returns to a boil.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
- Drain the pasta and shake off excess water.
- Add pasta to the mixing bowl with the vinaigrette.
- Toss thoroughly and allow the pasta to absorb some of the vinaigrette and cool.
- Before serving, add the mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, Parmigiano, and parsley or basil.
- Toss thoroughly.
- Enjoy!
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