Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad

Giulia Scarpaleggia is a Tuscan-born food writer, podcaster, cookbook author, and cooking teacher who is deeply passionate about Italian cuisine. Her famed blog, Juls' Kitchen, was named by Saveur as 2019's Best Food Culture Blog. This pasta salad is excerpted from her latest cookbook, Vegetables the Italian Way — a joyful book bursting with recipes that put vegetables at the center of your plate. It's easily customizable and ready for al fresco dining and entertaining.

Pasta salads often suffer from a bad reputation, as most of the time they are coated in a ghastly mayonnaise. Not in Italy, though, where pasta salads are light, fresh, and generously dressed with extra-virgin olive oil. From simple combinations like cherry tomatoes and basil to more elaborate creations featuring canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives, capers, cheese, and pickled vegetables, pasta salads are a must in the summer. They can be a stand-alone main course on scorching days, a fuss-free weeknight dinner, or even a beachside meal packed in a cooler. They also make a perfect first course for an informal gathering.

Words and Recipe by: Giulia Scarpaleggia
Photos by: Tommaso Galli


Serves 4-8 as a first course or light lunch

Process

Roast The Peppers

Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Arrange the bell peppers on the lined baking sheet and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast the peppers, turning them frequently, until the skin is charred all over, about 40 minutes. If you want to further blacken the skin, pop them under the broiler for 5 more minutes.

Remove the peppers from the oven and, using tongs, carefully transfer them to a bowl. Be careful because they might contain steaming-hot liquid. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the peppers cool down completely. The steam trapped in the bowl will make it easy to peel the peppers.

When the peppers are completely cool, peel and seed them, then cut each pepper into thin strips. Transfer the pepper strips to a colander and let the excess liquid drain off for about 30 minutes. This will avoid a watery dressing for the pasta salad.

Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl and dress them with the olive oil, oregano, and salt and black pepper to taste. Add the smashed garlic to the bowl, stir, and cover with plastic wrap. (You can roast and dress the peppers up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.)

Make The Pasta Salad

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously (use a disc or two of Disco di Sale for easy measurement!). Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water to stop the cooking*.

Transfer the pasta to a large salad bowl and add the roasted peppers, olives, capers, and basil leaves. Use all the roasted pepper oil to dress the salad. Season with salt and pepper. Give the pasta salad a good stir, cover with plastic wrap, and stash in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

To serve, let the pasta salad mostly come back to room temperature, taste again to adjust the seasoning, add the toasted almonds, and refresh with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if the salad looks a bit too dry.

Pasta salads are one of those dishes that keep on giving. Leftovers are great for 2-3 days if kept in an airtight container in the fridge.

*Note: Cooking pasta for a salad requires a deliberate approach. Typically, when serving pasta hot, you would never rinse it, as this dilutes its taste. However, for pasta salads, rinsing is an essential extra step. Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold running water; this prevents the pasta from overcooking from the residual heat and ensures a perfect texture when it’s tossed with flavorful condiments.