This pasta salad is a crowd pleaser.
It is well-rounded in every sense, its crunch, creamy, comforting and fresh. The corn, tomatoes and broccoli are sweet, the olives are salty and umami, the lemon ricotta mixture is bright, creamy and pungent and the fresh basil adds a sweet, fresh kick.
Summer season is perfect for pasta salad with the picnic, BBQ's potlucks, and wanting something that is great cold, warm or hot.
Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, Broccoli and a Garlic, Lemon Ricotta Sauce
Veggies:
½-1 yellow onion, diced
2 stalks broccoli, florets and stems, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 heaping cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 ears corn
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Butter
Sauce:
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese (can also use vegan ricotta, like Kite Hill)
½-1 lemon, zest and juice, to taste
2-3 cloves garlic, grated, to taste
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
To Finish
1 lbs cooked pasta noodle (fusilli, bow-tow, macaroni all work well)
1 cup olives (black or Kalamata)
Chopped fresh basil, optional
To make the veggies, heat up the grill. Meanwhile, make a foil boat and add all the veggies but the corn to it. Add the oil, salt and pepper, and toss well. Once grill is hot, add the veggie boat and corn. Once the corn has warmed for 30 seconds to a minute, rub butter on it. Mix the veggies and turn the corn 2-3 times, cooking for about 15-20 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Remove from the grill and set aside. Once the corn as cooled slightly, cut the kernels off the cobb.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a boil and mix well.
Add the veggies, corn kernels, olives, and noodles to the sauce. Mix well. Add fresh basil if using and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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