Pasta with Grilled Vegetables, Gruyere and Herbed Bread Crumbs

by Nancy Caivano

Pasta with Grilled Vegetables,
Gruyere and Herbed Bread Crumbs

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta (I prefer fettucine with this
dish, but any pasta will work)
Cooking Spray
1 sweet onion, cut into 3/8" slices
1 yellow squash, cut into 3/8" slices
1 zucchini, cut into 3/8" slices
1 small eggplant, cut into 3/8" slices
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 3/8" slices
1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil for brushing
Salt and Pepper

1/2 loaf Italian bread,
dried and cut into chunks
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (or 2 tbsp dry)
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 cloves garlic chopped (or 1 tbsp jar chopped garlic)
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced black olives
3 tbsp heavy cream
3 tbsp butter
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
(If you can't find Gruyere, you can substitute Swiss)

Method:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, spray grill rack well with cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Place vegetables (onion, squash, zucchini, eggplant & tomatoes) in a large bowl. Add Balsamic vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes, stirring twice. Drain vinegar and reserve 1/4 cup.

Brush all vegetables with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill until well browned. Remove to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Set aside.

To make bread crumbs, put dried Italian bread into food processor and pulse a few times. Add basil and rosemary, and process to fine crumbs.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs and sauté until golden brown. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until garlic just begins to brown. Add grilled vegetables, reserved balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice and black olives. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Add cream and butter and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Return drained pasta to pot. Add contents of skillet and combine well. Add bread crumbs, Romano and Gruyere, toss well to coat and serve immediately.