I love a pasta salad in general, but a pasta salad with grilled sausage and veggies?! Sign me up. I’ll be making this Grilled Antipasto Pasta Salad all season long and hope you will too.
Pasta salads are one of the easiest meals for spring and summertime cooking so I knew I wanted one for #DDGrillWeek 2024! Here, we take all the flavors from our favorite antipasto platter and turn it into an easy, pasta salad fit for entertaining or a weekend away.
We grill Italian chicken sausage, red bell peppers, and red onion until smoky and charred, and toss it with a simple, garlic and oregano dressing that brings it all together! You can either serve this as a side with your other grilling items or enjoy it as a main meal. Either way, I know you will love it!
Ingredients:
- Penne Pasta: Sub Gluten-Free
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Dijon Mustard
- Dried Oregano
- Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Mild Italian Chicken Sausage: Sub Hot Italian Chicken Sausage
- Red Bell Pepper
- Red Onion
- Pitted Castelvetrano Olives
- Sweet and Tangy Pepper Drops or Peppadews: Optional
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Italian Parsley
- Baby Arugula
Recipe Step-by-Step:
Step One: Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook, according to package instructions, until al dente.
Step Two: Make the Vinaigrette
While the pasta is boiling, make the vinaigrette. In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined.
Step Three: Combine the Pasta and Vinaigrette
Once the pasta is done cooking, strain, and add the hot pasta directly to the vinaigrette. Using tongs, toss to combine. The hot pasta will mellow out the raw garlic. Set aside at room temperature while you grill the sausage and veggies.
Step Four: grill the sausage
Preheat your gas grill to medium-low heat (about 250-325°F). Grease the grates with avocado oil. Once hot, add the chicken sausages. Cook on medium-low, turning every few minutes, until the sausages register to about 145°F, about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, using a pastry brush, coat the veggies with olive oil and season with salt.
Step Five: Grill the Veggies
Once the sausages have been par-cooked, turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the veggies to the other side of the grill. Grill the sausages until charred and they reach an internal temperature of 165-170°F. Remove from the grill and allow to rest while the veggies finish cooking. The veggies should take about 8-10 minutes total, flipping halfway through. They should be softened and charred in places.
Step Six: Begin Assembling the Pasta Salad
Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and cut in ¼” slices on the diagonal. Add to the pasta. Once the veggies have cooled to the touch, chop into a medium-dice, and add the veggies to the pasta. Toss to combine.
Step Seven: Finish the Pasta and Serve
Add the olives, pepper drops (if using), ½ cup of the grated parmesan, parsley, and the arugula. Toss gently, until the sausage and veggies are evenly combined and all elements are equally dressed. Garnish with the remaining parmesan. Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs:
It can be! Feel free to sub the penne with gluten-free penne.
These Italian peppers are just as described — sweet and tangy! They add a pop of brightness that complements this pasta salad nicely. I usually find them in the deli section of my grocery store and if not there, in the jarred section. If you cannot find those, peppadews work as well
Of course! If you prefer to omit the sausage and make this into a vegetarian meal, I’d suggest grilling zucchini instead then chopping and adding to the pasta like you do the sausage.
I hope y’all enjoy this Grilled Antipasto Pasta Salad all grilling season long! Comment below once you try it!
for more pasta salad recipes:
Grilled Antipasto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz. penne pasta, sub gluten-free penne for gluten-free
For the Vinaigrette:
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Grill:
- 4 mild Italian chicken sausages, sub hot Italian chicken sausage if you want more heat!
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored and cut into 4 large pieces
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2” slices
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For Assembly:
- ½ cup roughly chopped pitted Castelvetrano olives
- ¼ cup sweet and tangy pepper drops or peppadews (optional; if using peppadews, roughly chop)
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
- 2 large handfuls baby arugula
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook, according to package instructions, until al dente.
Make the Vinaigrette:
- While the pasta is boiling, make the vinaigrette. In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, strain, and add the hot pasta directly to the vinaigrette. Using tongs, toss to combine. The hot pasta will mellow out the raw garlic. Set aside at room temperature while you grill the sausage and veggies.
Grill Your Sausage and Veggies:
- Preheat your gas grill to medium-low heat (about 250-325°F). Grease the grates with avocado oil. Once hot, add the chicken sausages. Cook on medium-low, turning every few minutes, until the sausages register to about 145°F, about 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, using a pastry brush, coat the veggies with olive oil and season with salt.
- Once the sausages have been par-cooked, turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the veggies to the other side of the grill. Grill the sausages until charred and they reach an internal temperature of 165-170°F. Remove from the grill and allow to rest while the veggies finish cooking. The veggies should take about 8-10 minutes total, flipping halfway through. They should be softened and charred in places.
Assemble and Serve:
- Transfer the sausages to a cutting board and cut in ¼” slices on the diagonal. Add to the pasta. Once the veggies have cooled to the touch, chop into a medium-dice, and add the veggies to the pasta. Toss to combine.
- Add the olives, pepper drops (if using), ½ cup of the grated parmesan, parsley, and the arugula. Toss gently, until the sausage and veggies are evenly combined and all elements are equally dressed. Garnish with the remaining parmesan. Serve immediately.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
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