Rustic Broiled Vegetable and Rigatoni Salad

Broiled vegetables are delicious with chunky pasta in a tangy dressing.

Number of servings : 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes + 30 minutes marinating

Type of meal : | Salads | Salads

Special diet :

Ingredients

200g rigatoni or penne

1 large red pepper, seeded and halved

1⁄2 red onion, thickly sliced

1 eggplant, trimmed and sliced lengthwise

1 zucchini, thickly sliced

150g button mushrooms, halved

200g cherry tomatoes

80g arugula

2 1⁄2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese

Dressing

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or lemon juice

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1 large garlic clove, crushed (optional)

pepper to taste

Cook the rigatoni in boiling water for 10–12 minutes, or according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water, then drain again thoroughly and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, broil the pepper halves, skin side up, until blistered and blackened. Place in a plastic bag, then leave until cool enough to handle.
Broil the onion and eggplant for about 2 minutes or until slightly charred. Turn them over so that they cook evenly. Add the zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes to the broiler, and broil all the vegetables for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove the pieces as they are ready. Place them in a large salad bowl.
Cut the eggplant slices into 2cm strips. Peel the pepper and cut into 2cm strips. Add the eggplant and pepper strips to the salad bowl, with the arugula. Mix in the pasta.
To make the dressing, mix the balsamic vinegar or lemon juice with the olive oil, basil, capers, garlic, if using, and pepper in a small bowl. Lightly toss this dressing into the salad. Sprinkle with shavings of Parmesan cheese and serve.