Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta
Summer might be almost over, but there is still plenty of time to enjoy the bounty of vegetables and produce that the warmer months have to offer, and what’s a better summertime activity than grilling?
Today’s recipe is quite simple, I’m going to grill up some beautiful summertime vegetables including, but not limited to zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, as well as some cherry tomatoes that I’m going to smash up and turn into a chunky sauce that I will toss my pasta in, and maybe get a bit of feta cheese on top for a nice salty and creamy kick.
It should be fantastic.
Serves 6
Vegetable oil, for drizzling and brushing
Salt
2 zucchini
1 large eggplant, or 2 small eggplants
2 red bell peppers (or orange, or yellow, or a mix)
2 pints multicolor cherry tomatoes
8 whole, unpeeled garlic cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus some smaller leaves for garnish.
1 pound of any small pasta, like fusilli
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Preheat the grill to high, with a grill basket if you have it, and lubricate the grates with vegetable oil. Also bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Trim the ends off your zucchini and eggplant, then cut them in half, lengthwise. If your eggplant is large, then you may want to cut it in quarters. Cut the bell peppers in half, then use your hands to pull out the stems and seeds.
Put all of the veggies plus the tomatoes and garlic into a large bowl, then toss everything with oil, and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Don’t wash that bowl.
Place the zucchini, eggplant, and peppers directly onto the grates and dump the tomatoes and garlic into the grill basket. Grill everything for 8-10 minutes total, flipping and turning when necessary, until all of the veggies are beautifully charred and the tomatoes are blistered. Remove when ready.
(Don’t have a perforated grill basket? Not to worry, you can stack the tomatoes and garlic onto long metal skewers and grill them from there.)
While the veggies grill, boil your pasta according to the package directions for al dente, then drain.
To make the sauce, push the garlic out of their skin and into the same bowl used to toss the veggies along with the tomatoes. Use a fork or a potato masher to crush the tomatoes and garlic into a chunky mixture. Add the sliced basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
(If you want a smoother sauce, then blend it up in a food processor)
Cut the zucchini, eggplant and bell peppers into bite sized pieces, then add them plus the pasta to the bowl with the tomatoes, then toss to combine.
And you’re done! Just pile everything onto a plate and finish with some basil leaves, feta cheese crumbles, and a drizzle of olive oil.
