Conchiglie Zucchini & Caper Shallot Vinaigrette
25 min
| Serves 4 |
265 calories per serving
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 ounces dry conchiglie (small pasta shells)
- 1 pound green or yellow zucchini, or a mix
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 10 green olives, pitted and drained
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh shallot
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Directions
Prepare salad ingredients: Pre-heat the oven to a high broil setting. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well and set aside. Rinse the zucchini, pat dry, and cut into semi-circular pieces about 1/2 inch thick. Rinse the bell pepper and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange the vegetables on a roasting pan lined with foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place under the broiler 8-10 minutes or until beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Switch the oven setting to bake and reduce the heat to 375º. Arrange the pine nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Slice the tomatoes in half and set aside with other salad ingredients.
Make the dressing: Place the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined. (Note: The dressing does not have to be smooth. If you don’t have a blender, mince the shallot and capers and whisk them together with the other dressing ingredients in a small bowl.)
Assemble the salad: Transfer the pasta, zucchini, bell pepper, about half the olives and half the tomatoes to a serving bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Add the parmesan cheese, along with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, and toss again. Taste-test the salad and add more dressing, if desired. Garnish the salad with the remaining olives, tomatoes, and pine nuts. Serve and enjoy.
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