Ziti with Grilled Zucchini and Red Peppers and Aged Goat Cheese Recipe by Mangia
Ziti with Grilled Zucchini and Red Peppers and Aged Goat Cheese
There are Greek influences at work here namely, the goat cheese and mint. This salad is filled with flavor and color and is very easy to like. It goes beautifully with any roast meat, especially butterflied marinated lamb on the grill.
If you cannot find aged goat cheese, substitute finely chopped ricotta salata.
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini about 2 ½ pounds each
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large red bell peppers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ½ pounds ziti
- 1 ½ cups grated aged goat cheese such as Kasseri
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill.
- While the grill heats, trim the zucchini and slice it lengthwise into one-half-inch-thick slices. Brush the slices well on both sides with some of the olive oil. When the coals are
- white, grill the zucchini around the edges of the grill for about 3 minutes on each side; remove and reserve at room temperature. (You can also grill the zucchini on the stove top in a hot grill pan, if desired.)
- In the center of the grill, where the heat is more intense, grill the peppers, turning them frequently and fast to char them evenly all over. They should be black before you take them off the fire. Put the peppers in a plastic bag and let them steam while you prepare the rest of the sauce.
- Slice the grilled zucchini lengthwise into ribbons.
- Peel, trim, and mince the garlic. Rinse the mint leaves, pat them dry, and
- coarsely chop.
- In a medium skillet, cook the garlic, oregano, and thyme in the remaining olive oil over low heat, stirring, until the garlic is softened, but do not let it brown. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir to separate, and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, until al dente. (Or follow the cooking directions on the package.) Drain the pasta in a colander. To pre vent the pasta from sticking, spread it out on a large baking sheet or platter and let it cool, about 15 minutes.
- Under a trickle of running water, remove the charred skin on the peppers, then stem them. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds and cores, and cut lengthwise into thin strips.
- Turn the pasta into a large ceramic serving bowl. Add the zucchini, pepper strips, and seasoned oil to the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and pepper and toss again. Add the mint and toss gently to combine. Best served within 1 hour of finishing.
