Food Recipes Grilled Mediterranean Salad 4.4 (11) 1 Review Traditional pasta salad gets a fresh update in this recipe that is perfect for any day of the week. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 17, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Jennifer Causey Hands On Time: 45 mins Total Time: 45 mins Yield: 8 serves Remember the summer pasta salads that adorned every buffet in the '90s? This is a modern refresh featuring delicious twists of campanelle pasta, tangy balsamic dressing, crispy cubes of halloumi, grilled vegetables, and fragrant fresh oregano. The recipe calls for zucchini, bell peppers, and red onion, but a wide variety of grilled vegetables would do. Throw in chopped, peak-of-summer tomatoes, grilled eggplant, or mushrooms to mix it up. This Mediterranean salad is a light dish, but if you're looking to add more, grill up some chicken or salmon to go along with it. Ingredients 1 pound uncooked campanelle pasta ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¾ cup olive oil, divided, plus more for grill grates 2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for water 2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into ¼-in. planks 2 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cored, and seeded 1 red onion, cut into ½-in. wedges 8 ounces Halloumi cheese, cut into ½-in. slabs 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped, plus more for serving 1 cup chopped roasted almonds, divided Directions Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water and drain again. Transfer to a large bowl. While pasta cooks, whisk vinegar, ½ cup oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F) and lightly oil grates (or heat an oiled grill pan over high). Toss zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and 3 tablespoons oil in a bowl. Brush cheese with remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a separate bowl. Grill vegetables, uncovered, flipping once, until tender and browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Add ¼ cup vinaigrette and ½ teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, grill cheese, uncovered, flipping once, until grill marks appear, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate. Add oregano, remaining vinaigrette, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to pasta; stir to combine. Chop zucchini, bell peppers, and cheese into rough 1½-inch squares; add to pasta mixture. Stir onion, any remaining dressing in vegetable bowl, and ¾ cup almonds into pasta mixture. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup almonds and top with oregano. Chef's Notes When grilling the Halloumi, use tongs to slowly raise one corner of the cheese to check for sticking. If it doesn’t lift off easily, lower it down for about 10 seconds, then try again. Rate It Print