Transform your health with our #1-rated Forks Meal Planner. Click here to try it FREE for 14 days!

Grilled Summer Squash Pasta Salad

  • Prep-time: / Ready In:
  • Makes 11 cups
  • Serving size: ¼ of recipe
  • Print/save recipe

This summer squash pasta salad is fresh, light, and flavorful—everything you want in a quick and easy meal that highlights seasonal produce. Here, we use broken up lasagna noodles, but feel free to use any whole grain pasta you have on hand. A winning combination of zucchini, yellow squash, and pattypan squash are grilled to char-marked perfection then tossed with licorice-scented fennel and sweet grapes to create an explosion of complementary textures and flavors. Butter beans add extra substance while Castelvetrano olives deliver bursts of briney goodness in each bite. The sweet and tangy flavors of orange juice and white balsamic vinegar meld together in a zesty dressing that ties everything together, leaving you licking your lips to ensure you don’t waste a drop of this super satisfying pasta salad.

For more vegan pasta salad recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

By Ellen Boeke,

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. dry whole wheat lasagna, broken, or assorted whole wheat pasta shapes
  • 1 medium zucchini, halved
  • 1 medium yellow squash, halved
  • 4 to 6 baby pattypan squash, halved if large (6 oz.)
  • 1 small fennel bulb, halved
  • 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added butter beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
  • 1½ cups green and/or red seedless grapes, halved
  • ⅓ cup Castelvetrano olives, quartered
  • ¼ cup slivered fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh fennel fronds

Instructions

  • For White Balsamic Vinaigrette, in a small bowl whisk together white balsamic vinegar, orange juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and garlic. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Transfer to a large bowl.
  • Grill zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan squash, and fennel bulb, covered, over medium 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and browned in places, turning occasionally. Let squash cool slightly and coarsely chop. Core and thinly slice fennel bulb. Add to pasta.
  • Add the next five ingredients (through fennel fronds) to pasta mixture. Drizzle with White Balsamic Vinaigrette. Toss to combine.
Nutritional Information:

Per serving (¼ of recipe): 362 calories, 71 g carbohydrates, 16 g protein, 3.2 g total fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 245 mg sodium, 13 g fiber, 28 g sugar

Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.

Comments (0)

(5 from 1 vote)

Recipe Rating

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Ellen Boeke headshot

About the Author

Ellen Boeke

Ellen Boeke has more than 25 years of experience as a recipe developer and food editor. She holds Bachelor's of Science degrees in consumer food science and journalism from Iowa State University and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Find her on LinkedIn.
See More from this Author

Join our mailing list

Get free recipes and the latest info on living a happy, healthy plant-based lifestyle.

By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.