Eggplant and Summer Squash Pasta

 From Bup's Bistro (sorry, no picture, I forgot to take one and the meal is gone!)

My daughter is out of town for a couple of days so it is TIME TO EAT ZUCCHINI! We have quite an abundance of zucchini, summer squash and patty pan squash, plus we got an eggplant this week from the CSA box. My son actually requested grilled eggplant earlier in the week, so I decided grilling strips of vegies would be a good approach.  He actually prefers this method to my usual chopped method, it is just a bit more cumbersome to grill the strips and slices than to throw all the chopped stuff in a grilling basket. With this marinade, the strips are a better choice because the flavor of the marinade covers more of the vegetables.

Ingredients

1-2 zucchini
1-2 summer squash
1 eggplant
Salt
Basil - 1/4 cup fresh leaves, chopped
Olive Oil 4-6 T
Balsamic Vinegar 2-3 T
Salt and pepper to taste

Hot, cooked penne pasta
Toasted Pine Nuts
Parmesan Cheese


Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices, lengthwise. sprinkle with salt on both sides and place on paper towels to drain. Let stand 45-60 minutes. Rinse eggplant and pat dry.

Slice zucchini and summer squash lengthwise, in 1/4 inch slices.
Blend Oil, vinegar  salt and pepper with basil in a blender, scraping down the sides often.

Brush  eggplant and squashes with the olive oil mixture and grill over medium heat. The eggplant will take longer, 10-15 minutes, the squash around 5-7 minutes. Turn vegetables over, brush with the oil mixture and grill an additional few minutes until golden brown.

Chop vegetables, mix with the hot pasta and add any additional oil mixture, the pine nuts and the parmesan cheese.  Serve with a salad for a great summer meal.

Note: You can grill the vegetables earlier in the day and pour remaining oil mixture over them and then add to the hot pasta right before serving.