Every other Tuesday we get a very special delivery. I often look forward to this delivery because every single time it’s full of surprises! Can you guess what it is? No?
It’s my CSA delivery (short for Community Supported Agriculture)! So basically it’s just a box jam-packed with whatever fresh produce was harvested that particular week from a local organic farm. I love discovering what new produce I have been gifted (sometimes I get veggies I don’t even recognize), then I plan a special dish to celebrate the freshest, just picked, produce ever!
My CSA delivery also contains local pasture-raised beef. To learn more about the benefits of local, pastured beef click HERE 🙂 Cricket could care less about the fresh zucchini, kale, carrot, and greens, but her nose quickly identifies the BEEF in the box, and she knows she is in for a yummy treat! I feed her all the scraps 🙂
When I am grilling steak I also love to throw on a few fresh veggies as well. Grilling veggies brings out unique flavors and adds a smokiness that I love. This salad combines all the flavors of summer and I know you will enjoy it!
So fire up your grill and throw on a beautiful steak and fresh local veggies to create this perfect summer salad!
Grilled Veggie & Steak Pasta Salad
A grilled veggie and steak pasta salad topped with Italian dressing and fresh parsley.
- 1 skirt or flank steak (8 ounce+, or similar cut, local/pastured raised is best, otherwise opt for “all-natural.”)
- 2 cups brown rice ziti pasta
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 large yellow squash
- 4 medium carrots
- drizzle of olive oil (salt and pepper for veggies)
- ⅓ cup parsley (chopped)
- about 1/3 cup of your favorite organic italian dressing (amount according to your liking, I used Newman’s Own, Or you can make your own 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, italian seasoning)
- ¼ cup red onion (chopped)
For the steak marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)
- 2 cloves of garlic (diced)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- In a ziplock bag combine marinade ingredients, mix, and add the steak, allow to marinate overnight.
- Slice the zucchini, yellow squash and carrots lengthwise about ¼” thick.
- Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
- Preheat your grill on high, then turn down slightly.
- Grill your steak (for a 1 ½” thick steak medium-rare grill for 5 minutes, flip, then another 3-5 minutes) and veggies (veggies take longer, they are done when fork tender).
- Boil the pasta according to directions, drain, and place in a bowl with the italian dressing to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- Cut the grilled veggies into cubes and add them along with parsley into the pasta, and mix thoroughly.
- After allowing the steak to cool a few minutes (to re-absorb the juice), slice thinly and add to the top of the salad.
- Makes 2 very large dinner-sized serving or 4 side salad size serving
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