Grilled Vegetable Farfalle
Summer has officially come! While I’ve already had my fair share of complaints about the urban heat and the consequent dose of vitamin sea, my version of summer is never complete without preparing meals that bring out the warmth and joy of the season. What I have here is Grilled Vegetable Farfalle, an oil-based pasta dish that explodes not just with flavor but also with the vibrant colors of summer.
Instead of sautéing the vegetables straight away, I take the additional step of grilling them—this way, my taste buds can relish the wonderful flavors summer barbecue without the unnecessarily perils of grilled meat (God knows how much I overindulge in grilled meat during summer).
My vegetables of choice are neither coincidental, as the greens, reds and purples give the dish an even more summer flair. You may include yellow bell peppers if you like, though being a gourmand (as opposed to being a gourmet) means that I don’t always like to spend more than what’s necessary.
Although this dish takes quite an effort to make, I assure you that it’s worth all the hard work. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner or whenever you fancy a good meal—or even as a gift, as I did when my sister celebrated her birthday last week. 🙂
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 medium-sized zucchini
- 2 medium-sized red bell peppers, deseeded
- 2 medium-sized red onions
- Salt and pepper
- 250g farfalle (more commonly called bowtie pasta)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 medium cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano, or to taste
- Slice the eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers into ½-inch thick strips.
- Quarter the onions and separate the scales from each other.
- Season all vegetables with a pinch of salt and pepper on each side.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil on a grill pan.
- Grill the eggplant and zucchini over medium heat for five minutes on each side until tender and nicely charred.
- Grill the onions on the same pan for three to four minutes until translucent.
- Increase the heat to medium high. Char the bell peppers for five minutes on each side.
- Once all vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-size squares. Set aside.
- Boil a generous amount of water for your pasta.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt.
- Add in the farfalle and cook according to package instructions.
- Drain once done.
- Chop the garlic cloves very finely. This will yield around 2 tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Add the remaining olive oil in a pan.
- Toast the garlic for three minutes under low heat.
- Mix in the tomato paste and stir until well-combined with the garlic and oil.
- Add the grilled vegetables and sauté for two minutes, until each piece is coated with the garlic, oil and tomato mixture.
- Toss in the drained pasta.
- Sprinkle with salt and dried oregano and mix well.
- Done! Best enjoyed when warm.
Crush the dried oregano on your palm before adding it in. Doing so releases the oils of your dried oregano, which translates to a more flavorful dish. This works with any dried herb.
As with many other food bloggers out there, I am no chef. I come with no culinary training whatsoever, and so it’s not at all surprising that my kitchen adventures are punctuated by frequent mishaps and blunders. Yet, there are recipes that I seem to make much better than others. And so, after years of prodding from family and friends, here I am, sharing the little that I know.
Why “gourmand,” you ask? Simply because I like making and eating good food. I can eat a lot, too—so there you go!