Main Dish

Grilled Veggies with Penne

If you have the ingredients prepped and ready to go, this recipe goes together quickly. Use regular pasta or a whole wheat variety.

1 pound penne pasta

2 pints grape tomatoes

1/3 cup fruity olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground 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 or pearl-size fresh mozzarella, drained

1/3 cup fresh sliced basil or oregano leaves for garnish

Heat 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. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and keep 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, pepper and salt-free seasoning.

Place 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. 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. Makes 6 servings.

Source: From and tested by Susan M. Selasky in the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Per serving: 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.