Pasta and Grilled Vegetables with 'Goat Cheese'

You may have noticed that my grill pan has come out a whole lot this September. That's because my cooking magazine's vegetarian feature this month was on the numerous way to grill vegetarian-friendly fare, proving that meat-eaters don't have a monopoly on the fun of grilling! So here's a final way for the month to use your outdoor grill or your stovetop grill pan to get that yummy, lightly-charred flavor.

Cut one (8-ounce) zucchini in quarters, lengthwise. Place on a jelly roll pan in a single layer along with: one red bell pepper (quartered), one leek (trimmed and halved), one 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts (drained), and one head of radicchio (quartered). Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and 2 minced garlic cloves, then coat lightly with cooking spray.

Cook on a grill or grill pan for 3 minutes on each side (working in batches if you need to), then transfer to a cutting board and chop into bite-size pieces.

Meanwhile, cook 4 cups of rotini pasta according to package directions. I used the whole wheat rotini from Gia Russa: www.giarussa.com. Drain, then transfer to a large bowl and sprinkle with another 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the grilled vegetables and one cup cherry or grape tomatoes, stirring well to combine.

Spoon 2 1/2 cups of the pasta mixture onto each of four plates. Top each serving with 3 tablespoons of vegan feta (in place of the goat cheese called for in the original recipe; use the Mediterranean Herb flavor from Sunergia), and a teaspoon and a half of chopped fresh basil. Each serving is 330 calories.

Cost:
zucchini $0.78
red bell pepper $2.05
leek $0.99
artichoke hearts $2.29
radicchio $1.49
rotini $3.39
grape tomatoes $2.99
'goat cheese' $3.69
basil $2.99