Ratatouille Pasta Salad, grilled

At a glance

What stands out: With evenly ripe summer time vegetables, grilled ratatouille pasta salad is a delightful spin on the traditional French dish.

How long it takes: 40 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large pasta pan, stove, colander, grill pan or grill basket, large mixing bowl, sharp knife, measuring utensils
Servings: 6

What Is Ratatouille?

Ratatouille is a cooked vegetable stew originating in Nice, France. While there are many recipes and cooking methods, common ingredients are tomato, eggplant (aubergine), zucchini (courgette), bell pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs. Often, instead of a stew, ratatouille is decoratively layered and baked.

Our family visited France when we were a teenager, staying at the home of the French student we hosted for several summers. We remember having ratatouille at their grandmother’s home. When our dad, who isn’t a fan of bell peppers, declined a serving, grandma simply fished out all the peppers out of his serving before giving it back to him. Naturally he ate every bit.

Grilled Ratatouille Pasta salad

So beautifully flavorful! Juicy red tomatoes, dark purple eggplant, bright green tender zucchini squash, sweet red onions, and crisp bell pepper are grilled to perfection, dressed with a straightforward vinaigrette, and combined with al dente pasta for an absolutely fabulous pasta salad. Grilling caramelizes the vegetables and gives them a great smoky flavor.

Three basic components. This pasta salad is fairly straight-forward even if it has kind of a fancy name. The vinaigrette can be made ahead and the pasta can cook while you grill the vegetables. Once you’re ready to serve the salad, you can put it together quite quickly.

Make it a main dish salad! You can easily turn this pasta salad into an entrée by adding fresh mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, canned cannelini beans, or substituting cheese tortellini for the pasta.

Like the idea of grilled salads? Be sure to try this grilled vegetable salad (with no pasta). It’s another one of our favorites. We also love grilled haloumi kebabs with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and tasty grilled cheese cubes!

What goes in

• Pasta: For this salad, a short pasta is best, something similar in size to the vegetables so you can get both vegetables and pasta in each bite. Try ziti, mini penne, farfalle, or another favorite of yours. Whole wheat or gluten-free is fine, too.
• Eggplant, Zucchini, Red Onion, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes, Whole Garlic Cloves: You’d find these same vegetables in a traditional ratatouille.
• Dried Thyme, Salt, and Pepper: These simple seasonings are added to the vegetables, along with a coating of olive oil before grilling.
• From-scratch Vinaigrette Dressing: The simple vinaigrette is made with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and is straightforward to whisk together. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.
• Fresh Basil: Stir sliced fresh basil into the salad right before serving to preserve its bright green color.

Do you have to peel eggplant?

Generally, you don’t have to peel eggplant, unless the eggplant is overly mature or large. Actually, it’s preferable to leave the peeling on because it contains a powerful antioxidant called nasunin. Cooked properly, the peeling should be soft and edible.

How it comes together

Cook the pasta. We like to get this step out of the way first. The pasta can cool while you’re prepping the rest of the salad. Once the pasta is al dente (try not to overcook it!), drain it in a colander, rinse it with lots of cold water so the pasta doesn’t keep cooking, and drain it well.

Prep the veggies. While the pasta is cooking, cut the veggies into large chunks and coat them with olive oil and seasoning. Don’t mix the tomatoes in yet; you’ll be adding them later. Meanwhile, you can get your grill preheating.

Grill the veggies. Put the vegetables, except for the tomatoes, in a perforated grill basket. (If it isn’t grilling weather, you can grill them on the stove in a cast iron grill pan, as pictured below. We've also put the veggies on a sheet pan to roast in the oven when the weather is too chilly.)

It will take about ten minutes of grilling to get the vegetables tender and lightly charred, depending on how hot your grill is and how well-done you like them.

Add the tomatoes. Remove the veggies from the basket, and put the tomatoes on the grill for just a couple of minutes. Fish the garlic cloves out of the grilled vegetable mixture and finely chop them, adding them back to the bowl.

Make the vinaigrette. Whisk up the vinaigrette (you could do this while the vegetables grill, too).

Combine. Add the vinaigrette to the bowl with the vegetables, along with the cooked pasta. Add fresh basil, and toss lightly.

Serve. The salad can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. Serve this grilled vegetable pasta salad with grilled chicken thighs or grilled pork tenderloin. Fresh bread with olive oil for dipping is reliable. Sip a glass of pinot noir or a chilled rosé, or if you’d rather, this cherry French 75 cocktail!

Ways to change it

• Add protein. Fresh mozzarella cheese (we like fresh mozzarella pearls!), canned cannelini beans, or pepperoni are good choices. Replacing the pasta with cheese-filled tortellini is another tasty option.
• Change up the vegetables. If you don’t have, or don’t like, one of the vegetables, skip it or substitute another vegetable, like mushrooms, cauliflower, green beans, or yellow summer squash.
• Roast the vegetables instead of grilling them. Prepare as directed, arrange in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan, and bake in a preheated oven at 425°F until vegetables are tender and browned, about 20 minutes. Voila! Call your salad a “roasted vegetable pasta salad.”
• Try a different from-scratch vinaigrette, such as red wine vinaigrette, Italian dressing, or buy a bottled dressing.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Get a head start on the recipe. Make the pasta the night before, or, if you’re having pasta for dinner, make extra to use tomorrow for the salad. Stir up the vinaigrette and refrigerate for up to a week. Cut up the veggies a day ahead, put into a plastic bag or covered bowl and refrigerate.

Keeping leftovers

This grilled vegetable pasta salad can be refrigerated and stored for up to five days. It makes a good lunch!

Leftover Love

Make a casserole. If you have lots of leftover pasta salad, combine it with cooked turkey sausage or ground turkey and this straightforward microwave cheese sauce. Pour it into a greased casserole dish, top with additional shredded cheese, if desired, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #25 or Meal Plan #68. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

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Pasta Salad Recipes

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For Salad:

• 8 ounces uncooked short pasta (such as ziti, penne, or farfalle)
• 1 eggplant (about 16 ounces)
• 2 zucchini (5 to 6 ounces each)
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 large tomatoes (about 12 ounces each, see note)
• ¼ cup sliced fresh basil (see note)

For Vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta al dente as directed on package. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. Cut the eggplant into ½-inch pieces (no need to peel it!). Cut each zucchini in half, then into ½-inch pieces. Cut the red onion and bell pepper into 1-inch pieces. Try to cut the vegetables about the same size so they cook evenly.
3. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan (or a grill, if you have a grill basket) over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, toss together eggplant, zucchini, red onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.
4. Grill vegetables, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and charred all over. Place in a large mixing bowl. Separate garlic from the vegetables, finely mince it, and add back to bowl.
5. Cut each tomato into quarters. Grill tomato quarters briefly, about 2 to 3 minutes each side. Let cool slightly and chop into bite-size pieces, adding to bowl with vegetables.
6. Add cooked and cooled pasta; toss lightly to mix.
7. In small bowl or measuring cup, combine dressing ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, black pepper. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
8. Add vinaigrette and chopped basil to bowl with vegetables and pasta. Stir lightly to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Notes

Tomatoes: Look for a standby ripe tomatoes you can find. If they are smaller, such as Roma tomatoes, halve them and grill them for 2 to 3 minutes in the grill pan or basket, after you remove the other vegetables. Cherry or grape tomatoes should be left whole and grilled in the grill pan.

Get a head start: The vinaigrette can be made a day or two in advance. The vegetables can be prepped a day ahead and placed in an airtight container or ziptop bag. You can also cook the pasta ahead and refrigerate it until you’re ready to make the salad.

Serving tips: If not serving immediately, reserve basil and add immediately before serving. Refrigerated salad may get a bit dry as the pasta continues to absorb the dressing. Reserve some of the vinaigrette to stir in when you serve the salad or drizzle the salad with a little more olive oil and vinegar to moisten, as desired.

Add protein. Fresh mozzarella cheese (we like mozzarella pearls), canned cannelini beans, or pepperoni are good choices. Replacing the pasta with cheese-filled tortellini is another option.