Summer Pasta Salad

I am always on the look out for new recipes for cold salads/sides for the summer. This recipe really stood out for me,,, love the dressing, love the grilled veggies and you can't go wrong with the pasta :) We paired this salad with hamburgers, but it is fairly versatile and would go with many dishes. The garlic I used for the sauce was potent and was more garlic flavor than I wanted. Next time I'll adjust the amounts depending on how strong the garlic is.

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Dressing

1/4 cup mayo (I used olive oil mayo)

1/4 cup sour cream (non-fat is fine)

3 tablespoons of low fat greek yogurt

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic that’s been pushed through a garlic press (I used 1 larger clove of garlic, and the dish had a very strong garlic flavor, which I liked but wanted to warn you guys)

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. Toss with pasta and grilled vegetables, below.

Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad

1 recipe Creamy Garlic Parmesan Dressing, above

12 ounce box Ronzoni Garden Delight Rotini or pasta of choice (next time I would only use half of the box so that way it would be more of a veggie dish than a pasta dish)

3/4 ounce can of corn, rinsed and drained (I cut the corn off of 2 ears of fresh corn)

1 medium-large zucchini

1 small egg plant

1 red onion

Olive oil

Granulated garlic powder

Granulated onion powder

Salt & pepper

1. Make the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cold water.2. Meanwhile, turn the grill to medium-high. Slice the onion, zucchini and eggplant large enough they don’t fall through the grates. Season well with oil, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Grill until char marks form and veggies are tender. Chop into small bite sized pieces and cool to room temperature.3. In a large bowl, toss pasta with dressing and vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve immediately or chill until ready to use.