Get your Grill on!

If your refrigerator is anything like mine, it is packed to overflowing with all the fresh veggies that you are getting from your CSA/Garden/Neighbors/Friends/Farmer's Markets/etc.  Mine was getting so that I could not shove one more thing inside and slam the door before it all came tumbling out.  

So....I (carefully) opened the door and grabbed a summer squash that was falling.  I put it on the counter along with an eggplant, some onions and some tomatoes of various sizes that had been sitting on the counter because I don't refrigerate my tomatoes.  You can use any other vegetables you might have as well.  I have used carrots, peppers and mushrooms numerous times.  I did have some beets in the fridge but I haven't tried it with beets and figured I would save them for another day because they last forever in the fridge anyway.  I was disappointed that I had no heads of garlic because I love adding roasted garlic to this sauce. If you have some make sure you include it.

I sliced them all up and threw them on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  I drizzled them with olive oil and seasoned them generously with salt and pepper.

I preheated the grill to high heat and then I placed my veggies right on the grill's surface.  Turned the heat to medium, closed the lid and let them cook for 10 minutes or so.  Then I flipped them over and let them cook another 10 minutes or so.  You want them to be very soft and mushy when they are done. Cut them thick enough so that they don't turn crisp from the heat.

Of course, I couldn't put the cherry tomatoes on the grill so I made a little foil packet for them and placed them on the shelf above.  I let these cook until they started popping open.

When the vegetables were extremely tender I removed them from the grill back onto the parchment lined baking sheet.

Then I picked up the parchment, tented it to make a funnel and dropped the veggies into my food processor. 

I pulsed them several times and then added some more olive oil before pureeing it smooth. I tasted it and it was a little bitter so I added a touch of sugar.

I put it into a bowl, removed half to a sauce pan to use for tonight's dinner and placed the other half into a freezer container to be used another time. It freezes very well.  I rewarmed the sauce while the pasta cooked.  The sauce was a little thick so I added a touch of cream to loosen it a bit.  You could also loosen it with some of the pasta cooking water.  The consistency of the sauce will depend on the amounts and types of vegetables you use.  More tomatoes= a looser sauce.

Grilled Vegetable Sauce for Pasta

Assorted Vegetables containing Tomatoes, Eggplant, Garlic and Onion

(as well as any others you have and like)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sugar to taste if desired

  

Cut vegetables into uniform slices and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Grill over high heat until vegetables are tender.  Remove from grill and place vegetables and any juices into a food processor, pulse several times, taste and season with additional salt and pepper and sugar if desired.  Puree the mixture adding olive oil until smooth and of desired consistency.  Rewarm and toss with pasta, thinning with cream or pasta cooking water if necessary.   Print Recipe

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