Summer Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Ingredients:

8 ounces rotini, shells or other short pasta

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablspoons red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 medium-size zucchini, cut lengthwise into quarters

1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded

1 bunch scallions, trimmed

1 cup black brine-cured olives, such as kalamata

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Cooking Instructions:

1. Prepare medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat gas grill (or broiler).

2. Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about seven minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly to cool. Transfer to large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

3. Whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add tomatoes, zucchini, red pepper and scallions, and toss to coat with oil mixture. Thread cherry tomatoes on wooden skewers, if using.

4. Transfer zucchini and pepper to grill rack. Grill, turning occasionally, about three minutes. Add tomatoes and scallions to grill rack, and cook until all vegetables are tender and grill-marked, two to four minutes more. Remove from grill, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

5. Chop zucchini, pepper and scallions coarsely, and add vegetables to pasta. Slide tomatoes off skewers onto pasta. Add remaining marinade, olives and herbs, and toss well.

Notes:

Timing is the only trick here since the tomatoes and green onions take less time than the zucchini and peppers. Yield: serves 8 Nutrition: 190 calories, 5 grams protein, 8 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 28 grams carbohydrates, 160 milligrams sodium, 3 grams fiberm, 3 grams sugar Source: Vegetarian Times