Grilled Vegetable Rotini

Although summer is widely associated with grilling, I honestly enjoy cooking outdoors the most when there is a chill in the air. Cooking veggies on a hot grill while bundled up in a sweater and breathing in the fresh, cool air is my idea of a good time! This past weekend, I did just that and threw together one of my family’s favorite meals; Grilled Vegetable Rotini.

The base of this pasta sauce is tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and garlic that are char-grilled and blended with tomato paste, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and spices. The result is an incredibly healthy, plant-based pasta sauce that is crazy delicious! I love pairing this sauce with rotini or other similar shaped pastas because they have lots of surface area to grab hold of the sauce and deliver a flavor bomb to your mouth. This recipe also works beautifully with gluten-free pastas made from chickpeas, lentil, corn, etc.

If you aren’t a cold weather barbecuing enthusiast like myself, or lack an outdoor grill, these veggies can be cooked on an indoor grill pan until charred. Either way, happy grilling!

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Grilled Vegetable Rotini

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Pasta

By Amy

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 25 minutes – Total Time: 35 minutes

A pasta sauce made using a mixture of grilled vegetables.

Ingredients

• 16 oz. rotini (gluten-free or conventional), cooked according to directions
• 1 lb roma tomatoes
• 2 red bell peppers, quartered
• 1 med zucchini, sliced in thirds lengthwise
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• Avocado oil spray or grill spray
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1

Grill vegetables: Preheat grill to 350º-400ºF. Spray the zucchini and bell peppers lightly with oil and season with salt & pepper. Place them directly on the grill grates and cook for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until they have a nice char.

2

As the zucchini and peppers begin to cook, place the whole roma tomatoes and the garlic cloves in a grill basket and add them to the grill. Cook them for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the tomatoes skins start to peel back.

3

Once peppers are done on the grill, put them in a bowl and cover with a towel. As the peppers release their skins, peel the garlic cloves and remove the tomato skins. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off as much of their skin as possible.

4

Combine all the grilled veggies with the tomato paste, red wine vinegar, and olive oil in a blender. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper and blend until sauce is mostly smooth.

5

Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss in the fresh basil and parsley before serving.

Notes

The vegetables can also be grilled indoors using an electric indoor grill or grill pan, both heated to a medium-high heat.