I created this pasta salad for my brother Steve’s Independence Day barbecue. I needed to bring a side dish that could sit out safely in the hot sun for several hours, and also fit in well with an American style cookout. An additional benefit is it gave guests a vegan option, and me an excuse to eat lots of cold pasta salad.
The vinegar base in this recipe would pair well with homemade buttermilk fried chicken, or even a store bought rotisserie chicken.
Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
1 Shallot, chopped
1/ 2 clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Lots of fresh ground black pepper to taste
Puree the ingredients together in a small processor or blender. Set aside.
Tomato Zucchini Pasta
1 pound riccioli shaped pasta, or any favorite shape
2 medium sized zucchini, or 1 large thinly sliced into half moons
1 cup chopped scallions
3-4 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 recipe Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Boil the pasta according to the package directions in heavily salted water. Drain and rinse in cold water.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette.
3. Toss the pasta together in a large bowl with the dressing and the rest of the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator until chilled.
Notes: Next time I might throw in some dried or fresh parmesan, and a handful of sliced olives to add another element of flavor. Shredded asiago cheese might also work well.
Recipe by Laura Flowers
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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20 comments:
Looks and sounds awesome. I love the presentation!
Thank-you Carrie.
Gorgeous pasta salad. Don't you just love a vinaigrette made with sherry vinegar?
How did the pasta salad go over at the event?
I do, vinaigrettes in general are so versatile. It went over pretty well, but there was so much food there we barely dented anything! I think my brother’s fridge is still packed.
I guess they won't have to cook for awhile lol.
It is beautiful and is made with all things I love and i especially love the glass serving idea.
I love the way you served this! Such a great idea!
Hi Laura, thank you for the sweet words about my baby, doesn't she looks big? I am already planning her 2nd birthday party, I can't believe it. I am excited about your upcomming post,100 post already,WOW!! and nervous, I am there some how? just love it!! and the macaron cookies too, they are my favorites. I haven't forgotten about Leche Pinito, I can't wait for you to try it, it will arrive soon. Of course you know my excited news!!
This looks like such a delicious summer salad. I am always looking for something that is different than what is to be expected in the department of side dishes. This looks amazing! We usually BBQ once a week so this will be on the menu for next week's evening of grilling! Thanks so much for sharing!
I hope you like this one Stacy. It's such a plain old pasta salad without any bells and whistles that I'm a bit nervous!
Maybe you can add some cheese lol!
This looks really fabulous, I've bookmarked it :)
Gorgeous! What a wonderful summertime salad :D
That sounds fantastic! Great way to use garden veggies. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, this looks delicious! Just found you through TasteSpotting. I'm adding this to my "must make" list for next week. Thank you! :)
Nice blog!! Check this out.
Regards
Christoffer
How did you know I just purchased a bunch of zucchini?
I love pasta salads and this one looks so good. The pictures of course are amazing! I will have to try this.
Hope you're well! =)
Hi there!!
I, too, think this salad looks great for the summertime. In fact, I wanna make it tonight to go with the spare-ribs my bf and I will share later :) However, we're kind of on budget.. can you maybe think of another vinegar that would go well (enough) with this salad??? We're also living in Germany, so I couldn't find the Sherry vinegar anywhere!! HELP!! (hehe, thanks!)
Hi Agatha,
How about a red or a white wine vinegar? Just about any vinegar you would want to dress a salad with might work well.
Laura
made this tonight. wonderful. loved by all. thank you.
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