Cold Pasta Salad with Vegetables

Method

1. Finely chop the white onion and slice the garlic cloves. Heat olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic with a pinch of chili pepper (optional) until fragrant.
2. Peel the eggplant and cut into small cubes.
3. Remove the garlic from the pan, add the capers and then the eggplant cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last 30 seconds, add a ladleful of pasta cooking water and cook until it evaporates. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and let it cool completely.
4. Once the eggplant is cool, dress it with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, and torn fresh basil leaves. Mix well and set aside.
5. For the zucchini: cut them into cubes similar in size to the eggplant. In a clean pan, heat olive oil and a halved garlic clove. Add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 7–8 minutes. In the last 30 seconds, add a ladleful of pasta cooking water and let it evaporate. Remove the garlic clove. Transfer the zucchini to a bowl, add a few fresh mint leaves, and let cool.
6. For the peppers: cut them in half, remove seeds and white pith, then dice into cubes. In the same pan, heat a little olive oil and add a few pepper cubes first. When they start to sizzle, add the rest. Season with salt, cover, and cook for 7–8 minutes over medium heat. In the last 30–40 seconds, add 3–4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and let it evaporate. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
7. For the cherry tomatoes: cut them into quarters. Season with salt, olive oil, and torn basil leaves. Mix and set aside.
8. Cut the fontina cheese into small cubes, similar in size to the vegetables.
9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add coarse salt (10g per litre of water). Add the frozen peas. When the water returns to a boil, add the short pasta. Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package instructions, keeping in mind that the peas need about 10 minutes total cooking time. Drain the pasta.
10. Immediately transfer the hot pasta to a bowl filled with ice cubes. Stir to cool quickly. Once the ice has melted, drain any excess water.
11. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with all the prepared vegetables, olives, and fontina cubes. Mix well.
12. Add additional torn basil leaves, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust salt if needed.
13. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavours to meld.