Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad

Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad | Well and Full | #vegetarian #ranch #pasta #salad

Add a smoky twist to your lunch with this recipe for Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad! Made with spring vegetables and a tangy dressing, this is a crowd-pleasing dish that everyone will want seconds of! The best part is the Charred Scallion Ranch – the charring brings out an amazing depth of flavor, that pairs perfectly with the herbs in the ranch! Plus, this is the type of pasta salad where the flavor deepens as it sits in the fridge.


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One of my favorite food creators is Baby Tamago, aka the queen of pasta salad summer. Watching her videos has inspired so many delicious recipes for me (including this Tomato Egg Drop Soup)! She always comes up with such creative pasta salads, which inspires me to branch out more in my own kitchen. Pasta salads, and salads in general, are such a great vehicle for whatever nutritional needs you want to meet. So if you’re looking to include more fiber in your diet, it’s easy to pad your pasta salad with kale. Or, if you want more protein, you can add extra beans or meat if you’d like. In that way, pasta salads are also an excellent way to showcase seasonal produce (which is my specialty)!

In this case, the Charred Scallion Ranch is the star. Scallions are in season right now and so delicious! This dressing is one of my most favorite recipes I’ve ever made, and that’s saying something. I tested it several times before posting the standalone recipe, but I’ve continued to make it every week since!! This ranch really delivers on that smoky, savory flavor, which I love. And I know y’all will love it in this pasta salad, enjoy!


 For more delicious, smoky recipes, try my Charred Shishito Peppers or my Smoky Vegan Chickpea Stew recipe!

Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad | Well and Full | #vegetarian #ranch #pasta #salad

Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad | Well and Full | #vegetarian #ranch #pasta #salad
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Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad

Add a smoky twist to your lunch with this Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad! Made with spring vegetables and a tangy dressing.
Course Pasta, Salad, Side Dish
Keyword asparagus, beans, feta, ranch, scallions
Servings 8 as a side
Calories 521kcal

Ingredients

Charred Scallion Ranch

  • 4 Scallions for charring
  • 1 Scallion kept raw
  • 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 Cup Mayo
  • 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Juice from 1/2 Lemon freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt or more, to taste
  • 1 Tsp Dried Chives
  • 1/2 Tsp Dried Dill
  • 1/2 Tsp Dried Parsley
  • 1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

The Pasta Salad

  • 1 Lb Pasta of your choice
  • 1 Cup Roasted Asparagus
  • 1 Cup Black Eyed Peas or white beans
  • 1/2 Cup Pepperoncini chopped
  • 1 Cup Jarred Artichoke Hearts in Oil chopped
  • 1/2 Red Onion thinly sliced
  • 3 Scallions thinly sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Feta crumbled
  • Piment d'Esplette for garnish, optional

Instructions

Charred Scallion Ranch

  • To begin, preheat your grill or grill pan. Once the grill is very hot, add on 4 of your scallions and cook until char marks appear. Flip them over, then char the other side. If desired, put a clean cast iron pan on top of the scallions to press them into the grill and speed up the cooking process.
  • Once the scallions are done, let them cool a little.
  • Cut off the ends of the charred scallions, and cut off the bottom of the white end on the remaining raw scallion. Then, give them a rough chop.
  • Add the chopped raw and charred scallions to a food processor or blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking. When done, set aside.

The Pasta Salad

  • Cook your pasta according to the box's instructions, making sure the pasta is fully cooked (not al dente). But make sure not to overcook either! When done, rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process. Pour the pasta into a large mixing bowl, and set aside.
  • While the pasta is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients. Chop up the roasted asparagus, pepperoncini, and artichoke hearts. Slice the red onion, and slice the scallions, discarding the white ends with the filaments on them.
  • Add all of the pasta salad ingredients to a bowl, and toss with the scallion ranch dressing. If serving ahead of time, toss with half of the ranch dressing now, then re-mix with the reserved half of the dressing just before serving. If serving now, you can mix everything at once.
  • Garnish your pasta with chopped scallions and piment d'Esplette or Aleppo pepper, if desired.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • For this recipe I simply put roasted asparagus as an ingredient so as not to make the list super bulky. To roast asparagus, cut off the woody ends, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, then roast at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. However, you can use any roasted spring vegetables you like here.
  • I used black eyed peas as my bean element here, but you can really use any bean you’d like. I recommend navy beans, cannellini beans, or chickpeas.
  • For the garnish, I used French piment d’Esplette (affiliate link), which is a spicy dried red pepper flake. You can also use Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes for garnish as well!
  • To make this vegan, use vegan mayo and sour cream in the ranch recipe, and omit the feta.
  • For the photos I used extra-large Vesuvio pasta that you can buy here (affiliate link!).

Nutrition

Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 560mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1063IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg
https://wellandfull.com/2025/04/charred-scallion-ranch-pasta-salad/
Tried this recipe?Let me know @wellandfull or tag #wellandfull! :)

Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad | Well and Full | #vegetarian #ranch #pasta #salad

Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad FAQs

Where can I get the pasta you used for this recipe?

This name of this fun pasta shape is Vesuvio, like the volcano! I got mine at TJ Maxx, but they sell the exact same shape at Amazon as well.

What did you use for the garnish on this pasta salad?

On top of the pasta is a pepper called piment d’Esplette, a type of French spicy red pepper flake. You can get it on Amazon here! Of course, you can always use regular red pepper flakes as garnish if you want!

How much should I cook my pasta in this recipe?

For pasta salads, I recommend cooking your pasta just over al dente. So it should NOT be overcooked, but it should also not be al dente either. You want your noodle to be soft enough so that it can handle a little drying out in the fridge, while not so soft that it can’t absorb the dressing. It’s a fine balance, I know! Just be sure to check the pasta box as a guide for the cooking time.

Should I rinse pasta for cold pasta salad?

Yes, this is one of the few situations where it’s encouraged to rinse your pasta. It’s important to stop the cooking process after your pasta is done boiling – you don’t want a mushy pasta salad!

Should I salt the water when cooking pasta for a pasta salad?

YES ABSOLUTELY!! ALWAYS salt your pasta water when you cook it, because it imbues the pasta with flavor. If you’ve ever had a pasta dish that tasted a little bland, it’s probably because the pasta was not cooked in salted water!!

Are black-eyed peas beans or peas?

Despite their name, black-eyed peas are actually beans. Botanically they belong to the legume family (genus Vigna), while peas belong to the genus Pisum. The term “pea” in their name comes from their small, round-ish shape. However, their growth pattern, pod structure, and genetic makeup mark them as beans. Black-eyed peas are more closely related to other beans like kidney beans and lentils than to garden peas or split peas.

Charred Scallion Ranch Pasta Salad | Well and Full | #vegetarian #ranch #pasta #salad

P.S.

For more plant-forward recipes and New England lifestyle inspiration, be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok! If you make a recipe, please tag me in the photo and use the hashtag #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your creations!

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Well and Full 2024

Hi friends! I’m Sarah, and welcome to Well and Full. Here, you’ll find seasonal, plant-forward recipes and lifestyle inspiration rooted in New England charm.

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