When I was dreaming of a pasta salad with lots of briny, salty, and herbal flavors, I knew I wanted a smoky charred component too. Grilling every single vegetable is a strategy I turn to during the warmer months and broccoli on the grill is irresistible in my opinion! As one reader put it: “The best part is that the ingredients don’t get soggy in the fridge unlike most pasta salads, so it works really well for leftovers.” Serve it alongside my vegan black bean burgers for the ultimate summer cookout spread.
The pepperoncini are doing a lot of work in this salad. They bring a mild spice, a briny acidity, and a little crunch that cuts through the richness of the olives and pasta. Any time you pair pepperoncini with salty olives and some type of starch, you’re winning at life. Find them jarred in the same aisle as roasted red peppers at most grocery stores.
The dressing is lemony and oregano-forward. Oregano has a bold and earthy flavor that reminds me of classic Italian salad dressing, which is a fitting complement to pasta, chickpea, and veg combination we have going on. Fresh basil goes on top rather than in the dressing itself so the flavor stays bright and fresh rather than getting lost in the mix.
I keep the broccoli in larger pieces so that they don’t slip through the grill grates. The grill adds a smokiness that roasting in the oven can’t quite replicate, and honestly it’s just fun to cook outside during pasta salad season! If you do not have a grill, roast the broccoli at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Grilled Broccoli and Pepperoncini Pasta Salad with Basil
Ingredients
Lemony Oregano Dressing
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar (or other sweetener of choice)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
Pasta Salad
- 13 oz (375 grams) short pasta of choice (I used rotini)
- 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
- 1½ cups chickpeas (cooked, drained, rinsed)
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup pitted olives, halved
- ½ cup chopped pepperoncini peppers (about 6 peppers)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- ½ cup crumbled vegan soft-style cheese (optional)
Equipment
- Grill
Notes
- Dried oregano will also work for the lemony dressing. I would use 1 ½ teaspoons and just crush it up a bit with your fingers before adding.
- I finished my pasta salad with some crumbled vegan soft-style cheese. This is optional!
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a sealable jar, combine the lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, nutritional yeast, water, agave nectar, Dijon, garlic, and olive oil. Secure the lid and shake the jar vigorously to combine. Check the dressing for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside.
- Preheat your grill to high. In a medium bowl, toss the large broccoli florets with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once evenly coated, transfer florets to the grill and close the lid. Let the pieces char on one side for about 3 minutes. Carefully flip them over and let them char on the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Once the florets are evenly charred, transfer them back to the bowl and cover with a pot lid or dinner plate, allowing the broccoli to steam for 5 minutes.
- Roughly chop the grilled and steamed broccoli and add it to the bowl with the pasta. To the bowl, also add the chickpeas, red onion, olives, pepperoncini, basil, and the crumbled vegan cheese (if using). Season the pasta salad with lots of salt and pepper. Pour the lemony oregano dressing on top. Toss everything to combine. Grab a fork and have a taste to check for seasoning. Adjust if necessary, toss one more time, and serve!
- This grilled broccoli and pepperoncini pasta salad will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’re bringing it to a gathering and want to make ahead, I’d combine all of it except for the basil and vegan cheese. Toss those in at the last minute to keep everything looking vibrant!
Made this last night and it was delicious! I roasted the broccoli in the oven and added the can of chickpeas to the sheet pan to crisp them up. Also thought I had enough pasta, but ended up only having about 10oz and that felt like a good amount with the rest of the recipe. My husband and I ate this warm as a dinner main and it was definitely hearty and filling enough, with some leftovers for lunch the next day!
Wow, what a flavor-packed pasta salad. I deeply browned the broccoli on the stove top so it had a bit of a nutty flavor yet still crisp. Absolutely delicious!
Love that idea to brown the broccoli for extra flavor! Thanks for this review, Julie :)
-L
Thank you for sharing.
I used cauliflower instead of broccoli.
Added more pepperoncini. (I love pepperoncini)
No cheese.
Excellent salad.
Thank you again since I am not too creative with cooking. I always need to follow the recipe. But, I am starting to modify a little bit.
Cathy
This is super good! I pan roasted my broccoli, and added sun dried tomatoes to the bowl. Made with fusilli pasta, left out the cheese.
It published 4 stars instead of 5! I didn’t even click on the stars? I would have made it 5 stars, if there is a way to edit that.
It’s no problem to edit on my end! Appreciate this, Karen!
-L
just made this for lunch! the balance of flavors is so nice. i pan-seared the broccoli and it turned out well!
Laura, your ability to pack flavour into every meal is out of this world!! This dish is to die for. My partner and I absolutely devour it. We rarely have fresh oregano on hand so we use dried like you mention in your notes and we don’t feel we’re missing out at all. So delish and so so easy — and it looks gorgeous to boot!
Although I didn’t have broccoli or pepperoncini I still made this sald adding a bag of fresh cooked peas, chopped red pepper and and used Trofie Color pasta. It was not only attractively colorful but delicious! I think the dressing made it work.
This salad is NEXT.LEVEL!
I made it as is, no cheese and it came together in no time and I’m truly blown away at the amount of flavour that was in every bite! I’ll be making this again and again, year round!
I loved this pasta salad! Only thing I really changed was that I used small white beans instead of chickpeas and no red onion. The best part is that the ingredients don’t get soggy in the fridge (unlike most pasta salads), so it works really well for leftovers. Thanks, Laura!
Is there a substitute for the pepperoni I?
Hi Rachel,
In place of the pepperoncini peppers, you could use chopped roasted red peppers or even chopped pickled jalapeno peppers if you like heat!
-L
Hi Laura, I love your recipes. Thank you for all your posts. Is there a soft cheese other than feta you would recommend for this recipe?
Hi Susan,
You could honestly use any cheese that you like and I think it would work here. Blue, soft goat cheese, even shredded cheddar.
-L