Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad

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.

My family visited France when I was a teenager, staying at the home of the French student we hosted for several summers. I remember having ratatouille at their grandmother’s home. When my 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 an easy 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 my favorites. We also really love grilled haloumi kebabs with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and yummy grilled cheese cubes!

Ingredient Notes

• 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.
• Homemade Vinaigrette Dressing: The simple vinaigrette is made with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and is very easy 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.

How to make Grilled Ratatouille Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta. I 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. I’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 perfect. Sip a glass of pinot noir or a chilled rosé, or if you’d rather, this cherry French 75 cocktail!

Recipe Variations

• Add protein. Fresh mozzarella cheese (I 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 homemade 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.

Storage

This grilled vegetable pasta salad can be refrigerated and stored for up to five days. It makes a super 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 easy 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.