Platter Greek Pasta Salad

          My husband and I have recently become obsessed with Greek food. I'm not quite sure why it started now, as its been 3 years since I have been to Greece, and he has never been. Regardless, I find myself constantly scouring cookbooks & blogs for Greek-themed recipes.

        This dish has a slight twist on a regular Greek salad, and makes for an excellent side dish or main entree. The recipe printed here serves 8-10 people as a side, and 4-6 people as an entree. I made it for dinner with my in-laws last week, and it was a big hit. It can be prepped & made in about 30-40 minutes, including the time it takes to boil the water & chop all the veggies.

Ingredients:

• Dijon Vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Big pinch of salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  
• Pasta Salad
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 medium yellow pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons salt for pasta water
• 1 pound medium pasta shells (I used whole-wheat penne)
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into small dice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Directions:

1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the first five ingredients, then slowly whisk in the oil for a thick consistency. 
2. Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with olive oil, salt and pepper, and arrange on a large baking sheet with sides. Broil eight to 10 minutes, until spotty brown, turning zucchini slices and pepper halves once. Set aside in a large bowl to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. (You could also cut prior to broiling),
3. Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil. Add pasta; boil using package times, until just tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.
4. Put vegetables, pasta and remaining ingredients (except dressing) in the bowl and toss with 3/4 of dressing mixture to coat. Put in fridge until almost ready to serve (up to 24 hours).
5. Arrange romaine lettuce onto platter. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Place pasta salad mixture on top and serve immediately.