Summery Chimichurri Chickpea Pasta Salad

Name: Summery Chimichurri Chickpea Pasta Salad
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 medium garlic cloves (16 g); 1 medium/large red chile (15 g), seeded and coarsely chopped*; 3⁄4 cup packed (18 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley (thick stems removed); 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar; 2 small or 1 medium zucchini (300 g); 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste; 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or extra-virgin olive oil; 11 ounces (31⁄2 cups/300 g) dry chickpea fusilli pasta or pasta of choice*; 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (13⁄4 cups/ 300 g); 3 large green onions (55 g), thinly sliced (3⁄4 cup); 1⁄3 cup (65 g) oil-packed unsalted sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped; 1 cup (30 g) baby spinach, coarsely chopped (optional); 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste Freshly ground black pepper; Red wine vinegar (optional)

8 steps

Prep:22minCook:8min

This pasta salad comes with a warning: Beware! You won’t be able to stop eating this! At least, we can’t. Many friends and family have deemed this the best pasta salad they’ve tasted, and all demand the recipe. It’s simply irresistible, and it’s the best way to use up summer veggies like sun-ripened tomatoes, crunchy green onions, zucchini, parsley, garlic, and more. The Easy Chimichurri Sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance, if you like, then the pasta salad comes together in just over 20 minutes! My best tip for this recipe is to have all your ducks in a row before you begin, as it moves fast and there are a few things going on all at once.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 06:32:19 GMT

Ingredients

8 servings

Easy Chimichurri Sauce

16ggarlic cloves

medium

15gred chile

medium, seeded and coarsely chopped

¾ cupfresh flat-leaf parsley

packed, thick stems removed

1 tablespoondried oregano

½ cupextra-virgin olive oil

¼ cupred wine vinegar

Pasta Salad

300gzucchini

small

¼ teaspoonfine sea salt

to taste

1 tablespoongrapeseed oil

or extra-virgin olive oil

11 ouncesdry chickpea fusilli pasta

or pasta of choice

300ggrape tomatoes

halved

55ggreen onions

large, thinly sliced

⅓ cupoil-packed unsalted sun-dried tomatoes

drained and finely chopped

1 cupbaby spinach

coarsely chopped, optional

½ teaspoonfine sea salt

or to taste Freshly ground black pepper

red wine vinegar

optional

Instructions

Easy Chimichurri Sauce

Step 1

To a food processor or blender, add the garlic and chile and process until minced. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the parsley, oregano, oil, vinegar, and salt to the food processor or blender. Process or blend until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. The sauce will be very thin and liquidy, but this is normal.

Pasta Salad

Step 2

Prepare the Easy Chimichurri Sauce. (If prepared in advance and refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature to soften for at least 30 minutes before using.)

Step 3

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Heat a grill pan (or a greased skillet, if you don’t have a grill pan) over medium-high heat.

Step 4

3. Trim the ends of the zucchini and slice the zucchini into long slabs 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (5 mm to 1 cm) thick. Brush both sides of each slab with the oil. Place the zucchini on the grill pan and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nicely charred and fork- tender.

Step 5

4. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions.

Step 6

5. While the pasta and zucchini cook, prep the grape tomatoes, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach (if using).

Step 7

6. Allow the grilled zucchini to cool for a few minutes on a cutting board, then chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Step 8

7. Drain the cooked pasta, quickly rinse, and transfer to a large bowl. Add the zucchini, grape tomatoes, green onions, sun- dried tomatoes, spinach (if using), and all the chimichurri sauce and stir well to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of red wine vinegar if you want more zing. Serve