Pasta with grilled vegetables

Pasta with grilled vegetables

In Vancouver we have rain and more rain in the winter so I really look forward to summer. I don't want to be in the kitchen. I want to be outdoors - to grill food and enjoy our meals outside. We can really enjoy it because we don't have mosquitoes in Vancouver. There is the odd wasp or two but it isn't a problem



I love grilled meat and vegetables. Preparing vegetables for grilling is easier than making a salad - just marinate the veggies with some chopped herbs, garlic and olive oil and put them on the grill. In fact, grilled vegetables are my latest craze - the zucchini tastes so sweet.



When grilling vegetables, put more vegetables on and use them with pasta the next day.

I am just giving you a general idea for the dish.



The ingredients are:



Pasta - any kind you like. I used penne.



Grilled vegetables - You may grill whatever vegetables you like for this dish.



I had grilled zucchini, onions, red peppers, eggplant and a portabello mushroom. Cut the vegetables in chunks or slices. Leave the mushroom whole. Make a marinade of thyme, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Put the vegetables into the dish and toss everything together.



A can of peeled, whole tomatoes



Crème fraiche or regular cream



Chopped garlic, shredded fresh basil and olive oil



Grated Parmesan cheese



Chopped parsley for garnish



Method:

1. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta.
   
2. Chop the vegetables into bite sized pieces.
3. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add some pieces of chopped garlic. Fry the garlic a bit but do not brown it.
4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook, stirring to break up the tomatoes, for about five minutes.
5. Add the basil and the chopped vegetables and stir together to heat up.
6. Add the crème fraiche to the sauce and cook for about a minute. Add as much cream as you like or omit it.
7. Add the pasta to the pan. Toss everything together and cook for a couple of minutes.
8. Dish up. Garnish with chopped parsley.
9. Pass the grated cheese. Enjoy.
   

Note: Crème fraiche is very expensive in North America. It is economical to make at home. There is nothing to it. You just need whipping cream and plain natural yogurt (I use the Balkan style yogurt).



I keep an eye out for whipping cream that is marked down (50% off at my local supermarket). It doesn't matter that the cream is reaching its sell by date because it will be sitting on the counter for a day or two to turn into crème fraiche.



Pour a pint of whipping cream in a small glass dish (eg Pyrex casserole with lid). Add a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt and stir to mix. Cover the dish and leave in a warm place. I just leave the dish on the kitchen counter. The cream will have thickened in a day. If it is still thin, leave it out for another half day.


Put the crème fraiche in the refrigerator and use a dollop or two in pasta, soups or with fruit. It can be kept for about a week but we go through the stuff very fast so I have never had it go off.