Pasta with BBQ vegetable sauce
In the Summer, when the is BBQ is going, I always use it for meals ahead. I normally put red onions, bulbs of garlic, bell peppers and aubergine on it after the charcoal have burned down and cook them gently over the ashes. The result is lovely, smoky vegetables which can be used for many dishes. This vegan pasta with BBQ vegetable sauce is a good example – it takes only 10 minutes to cook. Serve it with a crispy salad.
Ingredients
Method
- Put the aubergine, red pepper, onion and garlic on the BBQ and gently barbecue them over the ashes or low heat. When charred and soft, set them aside. Cool in the fridge until needed.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet’s instructions, and add your chosen green veggies to the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and keep warm under cover. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove & discard the skin of the onion, pepper and aubergine. Roughly chop their flesh and put them in a saucepan. Remove the seeds & stalk of the chilli, if used. Squeeze out the flesh of 4 garlic cloves, then add these to the pan. With a sharp knife, cut the corn kernels off the cob and add them to the pan. Pour in the stock.
- Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Using a stick blender process the soup into a roughly textured sauce. Season to taste. Add the courgette and herbs, then heat up the sauce. You can blend again if you’d prefer a smoother texture.
- Turn off the heat. Fold in the pasta and the green vegetables and combine with the sauce.
- Serve immediately with grated (perhaps vegan) cheese, if liked.