A few weeks ago, I found two packages of pasta, penne and fusilli, in my pantry that I couldn’t use individually as they were both in insufficient quantities for any preparation! So I decided, partly out of necessity, to cook them together, without imagining how this mix of different shapes, although both whole wheat, would result in something truly unique! Naturally, the ingredients I combined also made it one of the best summer dishes I’ve ever experimented with! Since I initially underestimated its tastiness, I didn’t think to photograph the steps or the completed dish. That’s why, given the extraordinary heat these days, I’ve decided to remake it and share it with you here on the blog! A vegetarian first course, featuring grilled zucchini, cherry tomatoes, arugula, Tropea onion, and Greek feta. Delicious to the core, perfect to bring to the beach or during an outdoor picnic! Try it too, and let me know.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 11 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients:
- 10.5 oz whole wheat pasta (two shapes of your choice)
- 9 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 white zucchini
- 4.2 oz Genoese pesto
- 2.8 oz feta
- 1.1 oz arugula
- 1 Tropea red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 sprig mint
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Preparation
Start by peeling the red onion, slice it into rings, and soak it in water for 10′ , rubbing with your hands to remove the indigestible inner skin.
Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them well, and cut them into quarters. Season with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt.
Cook the two types of pasta, as long as they have the same cooking times (I chose penne and caserecce), then drain them in a colander.
Transfer to a large salad bowl and dress with pesto.
Add the cherry tomatoes with all their dressing.
Then also add the well-drained and squeezed onion.
In the meantime, while the pasta reaches room temperature, grill the zucchini sliced into rings on a hot griddle for 3′ per side.
Arrange them in layers in a bowl, dressing each layer with a drizzle of oil, some garlic chopped into pieces, and mint leaves. Let rest for 30′.
After the marinating time, add the zucchini to the pasta along with the arugula leaves without stems and the feta cut into cubes.
Put in the fridge for 1 h before serving.
When plating, refresh with a drizzle of oil and serve.
And voilà…your mixed pasta salad with zucchini and Greek feta is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the pasta salad in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap or in freezer containers with a lid for 2-3 days. I do not recommend freezing.
