Posted Sept 13, 2011
All the grape tomatoes coming off the vine reminded me of a cool way to cook them.
A recipe I found last summer called for cooking grape tomatoes that were seasoned and drizzled with olive oil in a foil packet on the grill and then serving them as an appetizer on top of grilled bread.
Once the tomatoes heat up in the packet, their skins pop and all their sweet juices ooze out. Those juices form a nicely seasoned puddle of sauce.
For today’s recipe, I increased the amount of tomatoes and olive oil and tossed them with pasta. You can doctor up the tomatoes even more with fresh herbs – basil and oregano are good – and more olive oil.
This became a pasta dish, sans sauce, that worked like a charm.
The other component of this dish is the grilled vegetables. Almost every time I grill, veggies are part of the package. It’s a good way to use up summer’s bounty, and we all know veggies are good for you.
Best of all, they taste so darn good. Something sweet happens to veggies on the grill. Their natural sugars caramelize, making them taste even sweeter.
Zucchini is my ultimate favorite because it’s easy and inexpensive. (One of the local farm markets had 10 zucchini for $1.) Red peppers and sweet or red onions are also great for grilling.
Choose vegetables that will hold up well on the grill. Cut them in large enough pieces so they don’t fall through the grates. For smaller vegetables, use a grill basket or a grill grid that fits over the grates.
If you prep everything in advance – mise en place in the culinary world – this comes together quickly.
When grilling vegetables, I put the cut vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet, brush them with olive oil on both sides and give them a good seasoning. Except for eggplant and mushrooms, you can brush them with the oil 30 minutes to 1 hour before grilling. Brush eggplant and mushrooms just before grilling because they’re like sponges and soak up the oil.
And finally, what’s a pasta dish without cheese? For this dish, I tossed in some cherry-sized orbs of fresh mozzarella. If you’re not familiar with fresh mozzarella, it’s a soft white cheese usually packaged in water or whey. Look for it in containers near specialty cheeses. Trader Joe’s sells a version I often use that is marinated in olive oil and seasonings, including crushed red pepper, which gives it a bit of a bite. A 16-ounce container is $5.99.
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GRILLED VEGGIES WITH PENNE
Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 20 minutes / Total time: 45 minutes
If you have the ingredients prepped and ready to go, this recipe goes together quickly.
1 pound penne pasta
2 pints grape tomatoes
1/3 cup fruity olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium (about 6-8 inches) eggplant
2 medium red onions
2 medium zucchini
1 large red pepper
1/2 teaspoon favorite salt-free all-purpose seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash
1 container (7-8 ounces) cherry-size fresh mozzarella, drained
1/3 cup fresh sliced basil or oregano leaves for garnish
Preheat the grill to medium-high. When the grill is hot, oil the grates.
While the grill heats up, cook the pasta according to package directions and prepare the vegetables. When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and keep it warm.
Place grape tomatoes on a double piece of foil. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Enclose the tomatoes in the foil and place on the grill while you prepare the other vegetables.
Use a serrated knife to cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Slice the red onion into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Cut the red pepper into eighths.
Place all vegetables on a sided baking sheet. Brush both sides of vegetables with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil (using more if needed), sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and salt-free seasoning.
Place all the vegetables on the grill and grill about 5 minutes on each side or until they are tender. They should have nice grill marks on each side. If some vegetables get done before the others, move them to a cooler part of the grill.
Check the grape tomatoes; they should have burst open in the foil packet and be nice and juicy.
Remove all the vegetables from the grill, placing them on the same baking sheet. Cut the eggplant, zucchini and red pepper into 1-inch pieces. Separate the red onion into rings.
In a large serving bowl, toss the hot pasta with the grilled vegetables. Add the tomatoes with all the juices and toss to coat. If the mixture seems too dry, drizzle with some of the reserved pasta water or use a bit more olive oil. Add the mozzarella and toss again. Serve in pasta bowls garnished with basil or oregano.
From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.
534 calories (34 percent from fat), 20 grams fat (5 grams sat. fat), 69 grams carbohydrates, 21 grams protein, 863 mg sodium, 30 mg cholesterol, 11 grams fiber.