Grilled vegetable salad that becomes a pasta dish

Grilled vegetable salad that becomes a pasta dish
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When I was a little girl, my mom accidentally blew up our barbecue and I’ve been traumatized ever since. I remember it was in the early days of summer, when the water in our pool was green and frogs lived in it, but she jumped in the water regardless to avoid getting burned.

I’ve always been shaken by this and completely terrified by barbecues, but I overcame my fear this afternoon when I made a grilled vegetable salad that easily transforms itself into a pasta sauce. 

  • ServesServes 6
  • Prep time20 min
  • Cook time20 min
  • Timeout-
  • FreezingFreezes well

Ingredients

For the salad
  • Olive oil, as needed
  • 2 small zucchinis, sliced diagonally
  • 2 small eggplants, sliced
  • 1 bulb fennel, julienned
  • 1 red pepper, julienned
  • 1 yellow pepper, julienned
  • 1 orange pepper, julienned
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 romaine lettuce heart, roughly chopped
  • 1/2-3/4 cup goat cheese
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the pasta version
  • Cooked pasta of your choice
  • Lemon zest, as desired
  • Extra goat cheese, to taste

Steps

  1. Brush the vegetables with oil and balsamic vinegar. Season generously and grill on the barbecue or in the oven. Let cool.
  2. Tear the lettuce and place in a large salad bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and adjust the seasoning. Serve.

For the pasta version

  1. Heat the salad in a pan and add the cooked pasta, lemon zest, and goat cheese. Mix well and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve.
Recipe published on August 19, 2018