Italian Brochettes with Angel Hair Pasta
Submitted by 29764
Italian vegetable brochettes with angel hair pasta: grilled eggplant, zucchini, fennel, bell peppers, and mushrooms over thyme-smoked coals, tossed with pasta in a tomato-thyme marinade sauce. Vegan, oil-free.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsThis is a clever summer supper that uses the marinade twice. The first round flavors the vegetables before they hit the grill; the second round (drained off and simmered with tomato sauce) becomes the sauce for the angel hair. Nothing goes to waste and the whole thing is essentially oil-free.
The vegetable mix is classic Italian garden-season: Japanese eggplant, zucchini, yellow summer squash, button mushrooms, red and yellow peppers, red onion, and (unusually) fennel bulb. Fennel is the sleeper ingredient. Its anise sweetness caramelizes beautifully on the grill and adds complexity no other vegetable brings.
The marinade is fresh thyme, lemon zest, nine cloves of garlic, red pepper flakes, and vegetable broth blended smooth. No oil. That is intentional, but it also means you need intense high grill heat to get proper char on the vegetables without steaming them.
Tossing the thyme stems onto the coals is the move most cooks skip. As they smolder, they perfume the vegetables from below with an herbal smoke that recipe books call “grill aromatherapy." Do not waste them.
Angel hair is the right pasta. Its thin strands grab the tomato-thyme sauce and cook in under 3 minutes, so it finishes just as the skewers come off the grill.
Chef Tips
- Cut the vegetables uniform at about ¼ inch thick. Uneven pieces cook unevenly. Skewer similar-density vegetables together.
- Soak wooden skewers for 20 minutes first, or use metal. Dry wood burns through before the vegetables cook.
- Get the grill screaming hot under the cover before the brochettes go on. Five covered minutes and the vegetables pick up real smoke flavor.
- Salt the eggplant slices for 15 minutes and blot dry before marinating if you want to cut bitterness and reduce sogginess.
Variations
- Add cherry tomatoes or cremini mushrooms to the skewers for extra color and umami.
- Toss a handful of fresh basil or torn oregano into the finished pasta sauce.
- Finish the dish with a shaving of parmesan or a drizzle of good olive oil if you want to break the oil-free approach for richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut eggplant, squash and zucchini into pieces ¼ inch thick.
Halve mushrooms and cut bell peppers into strips.
Quarter removing skins only if they are dirty.
Trim outer leaves of fennel and remove any dirt. Slice into 8 thin wedges.
Place all vegetables into large bowl.
For the marinade, strip thyme leaves from stems, reserve stems.
In a processor, process thyme, red pepper, zest and salt and pepper.
Add garlic while machine is running.
Stop machine and add lemon juice Turn on and add vegetable broth in a slow stream.
Process 1 minute. Pour over vegetables and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
Preapre grill and cover to build intense heat.
Skewer vegetables.
Toss sthyme stems onto the heat shield or coals.
Place brochettes onto hot grill, cover and allw to smoke for 5 minutes.
Remove cover, turn and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain marinade into a small non-reactive pot.
Add tomato sauce and heat through.
When skewers are almost done, cook pasta.
Drain and return to pot.
Pour sauce over pasta and toss to coat. Serve with grilled vegetables.
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