Ingredients

The following ingredients have 6 Servings
  • 1 pound DeLallo Biodynamic Whole-Wheat Penne Rigate Pasta (vegan)
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (plus additional for pasta water and sprinkling)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes (if you don’t have access to good fresh tomatoes, sub 1/2 cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes)
  • 1/2 medium red onion
  • 1/4 cup jarred capers, drained (like these DeLallo Capers)*
  • 1/2 cup jarred sliced pepperoncini, drained*
  • 1 1/2 hearts of romaine lettuce (6 cups chopped)
  • 3/4 cup DeLallo Pitted Greek Calamata Olives

Instruction

  • Boil the pasta a large pot of water salted with 1 tablespoon kosher salt. When pasta is al dente, drain, rinse under cold water, and return to pot. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, the oregano, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and fresh ground pepper.
  • Meanwhile, thinly slice the zucchini. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a skillet and saute the zucchini, stirring in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and more fresh ground black pepper. Saute until just lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pot with the pasta.
  • Slice the tomatoes in half and sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt. Slice the red onion into half moons. Add the tomatoes, red onion, capers (drained) and pepperoncini (drained) to the pot with the pasta.
  • Chop the romaine into bite sized pieces and add it to a large bowl. Add the olives to the lettuce. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and mix with your hands so the olive brine coats the lettuce. Add the pasta and veggies to the romaine and toss to fully integrate. 
  • Serve immediately. If you’re not vegan, top with grated Parmesan cheese, but it’s optional and not needed for flavor. Store leftovers refrigerated for a day or so (you can also add additional olive oil and/or salt if it looses flavor over time).