Grilled summer vegetable pasta with crispy prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil is a light, easy and delicious summer grilling recipe.
Okay so I might be a little grill-crazy these days but can you blame me?
It’s officially the first day of summer people!!!! Cheers to that. Bring on all the ice cream, s’mores, corn on the cob and boozy Popsicles (yeah, those are a real thing, google them!)
I lovveeee grilling and I especially love easy grilling dinner recipes where I can sit on my deck with my feet up, drink in hand while waiting for whatever’s being cooked on the grill (while simultaneously praying Dallas doesn’t decide to take a dip in the muddy pond again).
This grilled vegetable pasta with crispy prosciutto is the perfect summer dish. It’s light and flavorful, and the perfect way to use those fresh garden vegetables. It’s great for a summer BBQ, cookouts, parties or just for family dinner.
A medley of summer vegetables is roasted on the grill in aluminum foil with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, they’re tossed over pasta along with crispy prosciutto pieces, fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
In case you haven’t heard already, roasted vegetables are life-changing.
Okay, a little dramatic but seriously if you don’t like a certain veggie, I dare you to try it roasted (like my roasted Brussels's sprouts recipe)and see how it may or may not change your mind ;).
Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sugars and gives them a caramelized, crispy outside and tender inside. Soooo much better than boiled, bland veggies.
Grilling vegetables in foil is just as delicious as roasting them. You get the same crispy caramelized effect, but with a slight char.
To make easy, grilled summer vegetables in foil:
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- If you have a vegetable grill basket or pan, place it on the grill and add your sliced vegetables.
- Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until tender and slightly charred on the outside.
*If you don’t have a vegetable grilling basket, simply place vegetables on a large piece of aluminum foil, season, then cover with another piece of foil and seal the edges. Then place on the grill.
*If vegetables are getting too blackened, turn down the heat or move to top grates of the grill that aren’t directly on the flame.
This easy grilled summer vegetable pasta is topped with crispy prosciutto that adds crunch, saltiness and much needed fat (in a good way!) to the dish.
Prosciutto is thinly sliced Italian ham. It’s usually used in antipasto salad.
When fried, it becomes very similar to bacon, without that distinct smoky flavor. It melts in your mouth and has the perfect saltiness that works beautifully with the grilled vegetables.
The best part about the crispy prosciutto is that when you pan-fry it, unlike bacon, it doesn’t have a ton of grease or fat that splatters all over when you cook it. Beautiffulllll.
You can pan-fry it on the stove top, or place a piece of aluminum foil on the grill and cook it over medium-low heat until golden and crispy.
You can totally add or subtract vegetables to your pasta dish, it doesn’t have to be exact as to what I have listed in the ingredients.
Also, be sure not to forget to reserve your pasta water (I totallllyy did the first time I made this and was so mad at myself!). The pasta water adds some moisture to the dish so it’s not too dry.
My girlfriends had a “wine tasting/food pairing” night a couple weekends ago. Each girl (or guy) was given a type of wine and you had to make a dish that paired with your wine.
You guys, it was so much fun!!! I highly suggest everyone do this at home at least once.
We drank, laughed, ate, drank some more and just let loose.
Sometimes, we need to act a fool once in a while. I swear it’s good for the soul (and makes a great snap-chat story).
Anyways, this was the dish I chose to make to bring to the tasting. My wine was Sangiovese, and it went beautifully with the grilled vegetables and prosciutto.
So if you make this dish, I recommend getting a bottle of Sangiovese to have along with it (and then some more for dessert).
Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Grilled summer vegetable pasta with crispy prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and fresh basil is a light, easy and delicious summer grilling recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 Summer Squash, sliced
- 1- pint Cherry Tomatoes, or grape
- 8 oz. Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Yellow Onions, sliced
- 1 Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Eggplant, diced
- 1 Head of Broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 Heads of garlic, outer peeling removed and cloves separated
- ¼ cup Olive Oil, plus more for pasta
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 lb. Prosciutto, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. Pasta, I used Rotini
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
- ½ cup Fresh Basil, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- If you have a vegetable grill basket, spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add cut up vegetables, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. If you don’t have a vegetable grill pan, place veggies on a large piece of aluminum, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, then add another piece of foil and seal the edges. Place on the grill.
- Grill, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and slightly charred, about 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto slices and brown, about 2-3 minutes per side, until slightly golden and crispy. Set aside on plate. (You could also do this on the grill, by placing a piece of aluminum foil over low heat, adding the prosciutto slices and cooking until golden and crispy on both sides).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until “al-dente”. Reserve about ⅓ cup of the pasta water, then drain and place in a large serving bowl.
- Toss pasta with grilled vegetables, Parmesan cheese, and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. If the pasta is too dry, add more water.
- Crumble up the prosciutto and toss into the pasta along with fresh basil.
- Serve warm or room temperature with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
*If vegetables are getting too charred, turn heat down to low or transfer to indirect heat on the grill.
*For a vegetarian version simply omit the prosciutto.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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