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Summer in a bowl in this simple Grilled Zucchini Pasta Salad right here! Fresh summer ingredients, a pop of citrus and all the cheese tossed with grilled veggies makes for an amazing potluck dish or a simple side for a weeknight dinner!
When it comes to my very favorite pasta salad, I have essentially lived each summer on this Tomato Basil Pasta Salad–and I am not exaggerating when I say that.
This Zucchini Pasta Salad is a great way to also get the summer veggies into a pasta salad but with another fan favorite: grilled zucchini!
Love pasta salad recipes? We do too! Try these other favorites: Tortellini Caprese Salad, Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad, Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad or my very favorite Easy Lemon Orzo Salad With Feta!
Why You will Love This Grilled Zucchini Pasta Salad
- It’s packed with summer produce. Grilled corn and zucchini are two of my favorites. If you have a garden popping out lots of it, or if you scored big time at the farmer’s market, then this Zucchini Pasta Salad is a great way to use it!
- So simple to prep. Most nights when it’s warm, the grill is fired up. I prep everything else for this salad and have my husband grill the zucchini (and the corn too if I am super prepared) and then toss it into the pasta salad before we eat. Making the most of dinner prep time.
- It pairs well with many dinner options. Steak? Chicken? Fish? You name it! Burgers and hot dogs, all of it go so well with this salad.
Ingredient Notes
See the full list of ingredients with exact measurements below in the recipe card.
- pasta: I love a beautiful, curly pasta, like rotini or the fusilli corti bucati used in these images but you can most certainly sub for another short pasta in this Zucchini Pasta Salad. Penne pasta, bowtie pasta , rigatoni, just to name a few!
- zucchini: fresh zucchini from the garden, anyone? This is the season I love adding it to everything. I sometimes will also grill some yellow squash as well to add to the mix and add even more color.
- corn: I LOVE using grilled corn, but that is not always on hand. So frozen corn that is thawed is another great option. Whatever corn kernels you prefer should work out fine.
- garlic: I use a bit of garlic powder on the zucchini before grilling but then minced garlic cloves in the pasta salad itself. If you only have one or the other, that is fine too.
- lemon: freshly squeezed lemon juice is ideal, especially since you will already need the lemon for the zest. The lemon zest really rounds everything out as far as flavor in this dish.
- parmesan cheese: I grew up putting parmesan on EVERYTHING. It is the cheese that gets me. Freshly shredded over top is ideal, but grated or shaved would be great too. You can certainly toss in some fresh mozzarella pearls or maybe even some feta cheese
Step 1: Preheat grill to medium high heat. Cut zucchini in quarters lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Step 2: Place zucchini on heated grill and allow to cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked tender but not overly soft. You don’t want to overcook them. Remove from grill, cool for several minutes and then cut into bite sized pieces.
Step 3: If grilling corn as well, you can lightly brush with olive oil as well and then heat for about 15 minutes, turning slightly every 2 minutes. Cool and then cut from the cob.
Step 4: Chop remaining vegetables while cooking the pasta al dente and then add cooled pasta, veggies and chopped basil to a bowl and toss to combine.
Step 5: Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine.
Step 6: Adjust the seasoning to taste. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving for optimal flavor, but this can certainly be eaten immediately!
Ways To Vary This Recipe
- add some crunch with some toasted pine nuts
- vary the veggies: you can toss in some chopped spinach, diced bell peppers, or even grill some yellow summer squash along with the zucchini
- change up the cheese: as mentioned in the ingredients notes, fresh mozzarella will work very well in this recipe. Feta cheese, goat cheese crumbles or another favorite is great as well.
- make it a meal by adding in some meat: cube some grilled chicken, slice up some steak or serve with salmon over top. You could chop up crispy bacon too
- use more fresh herbs: fresh basil is added to the pasta salad and then we like to toss in parsley usually as garnish when serving. But you can chop up some fresh dill to really change things up, some rosemary, thyme and more.
Storage
Store leftovers of this simple summer pasta salad in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. Allow the salad to sit out for about 15 minutes before serving as the olive oil can solidify a bit when refrigerated. Freezing is not recommended.
What to serve with this recipe
- By all means: burgers! I have an amazing Sun-Dried Tomato Turkey Burger that would pair well with this pasta salad. These Mozzarella Burgers would pair nicely as well. If you are looking for a vegetarian option, then go with these Spicy Black Bean Burgers instead.
- Grilled Lemon Chicken right on top is amazing with this as well.
- Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken–now that is what you pair with this summer pasta salad recipe!
- Toss some marinated grilled steaks on the grill to round out this pasta salad, or even some grilled salmon!
Recipe Tips
- I know the name says “grilled zucchini” but if push comes to shove and you need to roast the zucchini, feel free to do so. No need to skip this recipe just because you don’t have access to a grill or something goes wrong with the grill. It will still be worth it.
- Don’t over grill the zucchini. I always find that there is a point of no return when it comes to zucchini. It loses its slight crunch and can become water logged when overcooked. No one wants soggy veggies in their pasta salad, right? Make sure to cut the zucchini thick enough and then pull it off the grill just before you think it may be ready.
- Prepare your pasta Al dente. This is another way to make sure the pasta salad isn’t soggy and the pasta doesn’t become mushy.
- I have also used balsamic to make this instead of the red or white wine vinegar. It tasted fantastic as well.
Try these other Summer recipes:
- Sun-Dried Tomato Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers
- Tortellini Caprese Pasta Salad
- Street Corn with Garlic Feta Butter
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- 3 Bean Cowboy Caviar
- Ramen Cabbage Salad
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Simple Grilled Zucchini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Grilled Zucchini
- 3 medium zucchini
- 1 T olive oil
- ½ tsp each: garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, adjust salt as desired
Other Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 1 16 oz. short pasta, rotini, fusilli, bowtie, etc.
- 2 c corn (cooked and chilled), I use 3-4 corn cobs, grilled
- ½ red onion, small diced
- 10 oz. grape tomatoes, quartered
- ⅓ c chopped basil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
- 3 T red wine vinegar
- 2 T lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest, separated
- ½ tsp cracked pepper
- ½ sea salt, adjust as desired
- 1 ½ c shredded parmesan
- optional: garnish with chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Cut zucchini into long spears by cutting in half lengthwise and then each half cut again. Brush with olive oil and generously season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Place zucchini on heated grill and allow to cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked but not overly soft so that it doesn't become mushy and water logged. Remove from grill, cool for several minutes and then cut into bite sized pieces. If grilling the corn as well, brush lightly with olive oil on all sides and the cook for about 15 minutes, turning slightly every 2-3 minutes.
- Cook pasta al dente according to package. Drain water and run under cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, zucchini, corn, tomatoes, basil, and onion. Toss to combine.
- Add parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss. If it seems dry, add in more olive oil. If you prep this recipe in advance, toss a bit more olive oil in before serving to add back any moisture that has been absorbed.
Notes
- I know the name says “grilled zucchini” but if push comes to shove and you need to roast the zucchini, feel free to do so. No need to skip this recipe just because you don’t have access to a grill or something goes wrong with the grill. It will still be worth it.
- Don’t over cook the zucchini. I always find that there is a point of no return when it comes to zucchini. It loses its slight crunch and can become water logged when overcooked. No one wants soggy veggies in their pasta salad, right? Make sure to cut the zucchini thick enough and then pull it off the grill just before you think it may be ready.
- Prepare your pasta Al dente. This is another way to make sure the pasta salad isn’t soggy and the pasta doesn’t become mushy.
- I have also used balsamic to make this instead of the red or white wine vinegar. It tasted fantastic as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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can this be made without cooking the zucchini?
Hi! If you like raw zucchini then certainly! Not everyone loves it.
Great feedback, Donna! Will be taking it all into consideration when I update this recipe. Thanks!
YUM! This is the perfect summer recipe!
Agree 100%!
This looks and sounds amazing! I don’t have a grill but I’m glad you say roasting the zucchini will work just fine too. Definitely adding this to my list of dishes to make this summer!
Yes, you can totally roast the zucchini and it is delicious!