Receta Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Wait a minute... what is it I see out there in the sky? The... su... no. It couldn't be. Wait a minute... what is the weather man saying? Sunny and seventy? No. No no no. It couldn't be. But it is? For now? For now.
And so I'll take full advantage. And sit in on the back patio. With my sunglasses. And a glass of bubbles. Because that's how I roll.
And I will also take full advantage of the barbecue. As much as I can until this (dareIsayit) summer wonderland inevitably disappears and my old frenemie the piss ass rain returns.
For this meal I wanted to do two things: 1. Feature gorgeous colorful grilled veggies and 2. Keep it simple because hey, there is sunshine to attend to.
I did finish Honey's plate with a little fresh, local chevre, as pictured. The chevre is completely optional and the pasta is just as delicious without it. Mine was chevre free and pure barbecued veg heaven.
Need:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- About 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon spicy dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepepr
- 5-8 cloves garlic, whole
- 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise
- 1 small eggplant, quartered lengthwise
- 1 red onion, quartered then sliced into about 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 pkg (maybe 18-20) button mushrooms or small crimini mushrooms, whole
- 1 pkg large pasta, such as rigatoni (what I used)
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Fresh chevre, crumbled (OPTIONAL)
Do:
In a jar, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper. Seal and shake. Set aside.
Skewer onion, garlic and mushrooms then place in a low, wide pan along with zucchini and eggplant. Give your olive oil mix another shake then pour over veg. Let sit about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat and clean your grill.
Once ready, grill veg on all sides until you see the lovely grill marks. Reserve remaining marinade for your pasta.
Note: The zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms will be done first. I left the garlic and onion on just a bit longer. Please do not over cook your veg.
While your veg is cooking, heat a pot of salted water and cook your pasta until al dente.
When pasta is al dente, drain then transfer to a large skillet. Drizzle left over marinade on top and toss. Turn stove on low.
Slice your zucchini and egg plant into about 1/2 inch bite sized pieces. Add to pasta. Remove onion and mushrooms from skewers and add them to your pasta as well.
For the garlic, remove them from the skewer and give them a rough chop. Add them to the pasta along with the julienned basil and toss everything together. The stove is on low so it will keep your pasta warm and allow the flavors to combine.
Serve:
Plate or bowl, scoop out an equal portion pasta and veg. Top with fresh, local chevre if desired. As I said, the pasta is fantastic without the chevre too.
This is a perfect, simple summer grillin' meal for your family or a dinner party. Super easy, incredibly flavorful and a great use of veg.
Also, if you want to bulk it up, add your favorite fake meat or more veg of all variety. Just be sure to make more marinade if you add more veg.
Enjoy!
Eggplant