1

Boil the pasta in generously salted water until al dente, which is usually a few minutes less than the package instructions suggest. Test a piece before draining to ensure it's soft on the outside but still has a slight bite inside. Remember, the pasta will continue cooking slightly after being drained.

2

Drain the pasta and transfer it to the bowl where you'll assemble the rest of the salad.

3

Thinly slice the zucchini and cut the pepper into long strips.

4

Preheat a grilling pan with a bit of oil. If using a grill skillet, it’s better to lightly oil the vegetables before adding them to the pan, rather than pouring oil directly onto the skillet.

5

Season the vegetables with pepper, salt, and Italian herbs during grilling.

6

Grill the veggies until they develop nice grill marks and become tender.

7

Set the grilled veggies aside to cool slightly; adding them hot to the salad can wilt the lettuce.

8

Halve the sweet tomatoes and slice the spring onions into rings.

9

To the bowl with pasta, add arugula, grilled veggies, tomatoes, olives, and spring onions.

10

Finish the salad with a generous dollop of homemade or store-bought pesto rosso. Note that store-bought pesto may be more intense, so adjust the quantity as needed. The recipe for homemade pesto rosso can be found on my website.