Spaghetti with Grilled Ratatouille

Serves 4

by Pamela Anderson
from Fine Cooking
Issue 111
Last Edit Date: 6/2/2011 3:25:57 PM

Grilled vegetables—that summer side dish staple—easily become a satisfying main course when turned into a vibrant sauce for spaghetti.

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1 lb. ripe plum tomatoes, halved
2 medium zucchini (about 12 oz.), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds on a slight diagonal
2 baby eggplants (about 12 oz.), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds on a slight diagonal
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 oz.), stemmed, seeded, and quartered
1 large red onion (about 1 lb.), cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 small head garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. herbes de Provence
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
12 oz. dried thin spaghetti
2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese

Prepare a high gas or charcoal grill fire. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, onion, and garlic with 3 Tbs. of the oil, the herbes de Provence, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Put the vegetables (tomatoes cut side up) and garlic on the grill in a single layer and cover. Grill the tomatoes without turning until their skins have darkened and their flesh is soft; grill the remaining vegetables, turning once, until grill-marked and tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes and garlic to a medium bowl. Transfer the remaining vegetables to another medium bowl and let cool briefly.

When cool enough to handle, very coarsely chop the zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, and onion; return to the bowl and add 1/2 cup of the olives to the bowl.
Slip the garlic cloves out of their skins into a food processor. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of olives, the tomatoes, and the remaining 1 Tbs. of oil; process until smooth.

Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of well-salted water to a boil in a large pot. Cook the spaghetti in the water about 1 minute less than the package timing for al dente texture. Reserve 1/2 cup of the water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

Toss 1/2 cup of the tomato-olive sauce and the basil and marjoram with the warm vegetables in the bowl. Toss the remaining sauce and the reserved cooking liquid with the pasta; stir over low heat for about 2 minutes so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Divide the pasta among 4 plates, top with the vegetables, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this hearty pasta dinner with Bruschetta with Rustic Green Olive Tapenade.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 660; Fat (g): 28; Fat Calories (kcal): 250; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 19; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 17; Carbohydrates (g): 86; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3.5; Sodium (mg): 1260; Cholesterol (mg): 15; Fiber (g): 11;

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by Jason123, 4/27/2012Great light, flavourful and healthy recipe. I love olives but agree that 3/4 of a cup of Kalamatas is on the excessive side. I reduce the amount and substitute black olives which have a milder and earthy flavour. I'm also allergic to eggplant, so I add mushrooms and substitute more peppers and onions. Great leftovers!

by lprescott, 7/11/2011Terrific recipe! I cut the recommended garlic portion in half and it was perfect. Very healthy and vibrant; and it makes great leftovers. Highly recommended!

by empowerdoc, 7/6/2011Although we are not vegetarians, this was an outstanding non-meat dish. My husband abhors olives, so I just cut the amount in half and ground them with the tomatoes in the food processor and he loved it. The grilled flavor of the vegetables was outstanding and I will be using this as an entree in my outdoor grilling cooking class.

by kserra, 6/29/2011I'm not an olive lover at all so I adjusted the recipe leaving out the olives. They were also out of plum tomatoes at the store so I used vine ripe tomatoes. I added a little red pepper and Italian seasonings to the sauce and it was fantastic!

by cookykamp, 6/27/2011Sorry folks, this one just didn't cut it for us. The kalmata olives WAAAAY overpowered this dish, giving it a "muddy" flavor. They just took over the flavors of the other veggies and tomatoes. IF I was ever to make this again, I would totally leave the kalmatas out.

by DrKoob, 6/26/2011Best ratatouille recipe as the grille really ads flavor. Less pasta and I think the next time I will use a flat pasta and not spaghetti. I had a really hard time getting the pasta and the veggies in one bite.

by IL, 6/24/2011Very tasty when prepared as written.

by fcar, 6/13/2011Loved it. Great grill recipe - changed one thing added a nice fresh handful of parsley to the tomato and garlic mixture and pureed along with it for extra flavor. Also used a combination of fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano for the grilled veggie part.

by magstoria, 6/8/2011Loved this! Be sure to add the pasta water and reheat, as stated in the recipe, it makes the pasta GLOW!!!

by Charron, 5/31/2011Enjoyed this pasta very much. Followed the recipe fairly closely. Garlic was a little tricky, but very tasty & worth the trouble.

by sarah21, 5/25/2011Basic, but good, recipe. It's nice to see vegetarian recipes for the grill.