By Chef David “Smitty” Smith ·
I was recently back east for a family reunion and I can’t tell you how wicked good it is to hear proper speaking again, I was at my sister’s house and she was trying to decide on what to have for dinner.
It is just my sister, Debbie, her husband, Jay, and me. It is one of those nights that the weather might turn out to be nice, but it’s kind of cool, kind of damp, kind of nice. You know, kind of like our May was – unpredictable. Debbie wants to grill out but also wants to have spaghetti. She is in the mood for something hearty, but would like to keep it light, and asks what I can suggest. After seeing the vegetables she had and finding some angel hair pasta in the cupboard, I suggested angel hair with grilled vegetables. Perfect, she says. Ah, sisters, so complicated, yet so easy to please.
This is one of those dishes that is great any time of year and does fit into both categories of being both light and hearty. It is also a simple and fast meal, and if you happen to be making it for a larger group, it’s easy to regulate so everything is done together.
For a larger group or if using dry pasta, cook the pasta and strain the water into another pot and immediately cool the pasta so it doesn’t overcook and toss with just the smallest amount of oil to keep it from clumping. Keep the water hot, but not boiling, on the stove while you grill your veggies and when you’re ready to put it together, pour the hot water back over the pasta. Angel hair is so thin, it heats up wicked fast.
If you’re thinking about reversing the process and keeping the veggies warm after cooking while you cook off the pasta, it is a little trickier, unless you’re using fresh pasta, but will work as long as you remember a few things. Be sure to have your water already boiling (which means more water than normal to take evaporation into account) when you start grilling off the veggies, but don’t salt it until you are ready to drop the pasta in the pot. If you remember, a few articles ago, I answered the question about seasoning the water and the sauce. This would be a perfect example of how easy it is for pasta to be over salted.
Once the vegetables are grilled, the softer veggies like the squashes will tend to wilt and lose a lot of their body quickly. Because of that, if you are using any other pasta besides angel hair, be sure to cook the pasta first.
Angel hair pasta with grilled vegetables
Serves 4
1 lb. angel hair
1 zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch strips lengthwise
1 yellow squash, sliced into ¼-inch strips lengthwise
12 asparagus
12 green beans
3 decent-sized broccoli flowerets with stem, blanched
3 slices of cauliflower about 1¼-inch thick, blanched
Any other veggies that you like
¼ C shaved or rough grated parmesan cheese
1/8 C pine nuts, toasted
¼ C extra virgin olive oil
Season the veggies with salt, pepper and any herbs you like and brush the veggies with a little olive oil. Bring the water to a boil.
For a small number of people, I would grill the veggies doing the zucchini and yellow squash last. When those go on the grill, drop and cook the pasta. Or, use the first method above if using dry angel hair.
Portion the pasta onto plates, arrange the vegetables over the pasta, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (this is when a nice olive oil is great), sprinkle with the pine nuts and parmesan, and enjoy.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Stir it Up, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at smitty@chefsmitty.com or (530) 412-3598.
