Juicy, grilled zucchini and charred corn come together in an herby, summer pesto pasta. Creamy, savory, cheesy, and smoky, you will love this Grilled Zucchini Pesto Pasta.
I've been racking my brain trying to come up with words to describe the flavor of something "grilled." It's smoky, yes, but not overpowered by a smoky flavor. It's charred, but juicy. There is something about the grill that simply brings out the best flavor of any vegetable you toss on it. If you have just the right word, please do share in the comments! 🙂
This pesto pasta is essentially summer in a bowl...and I'm just going to leave it at that. 😉
Why You'll Love this Pesto Sauce
This is not your average pesto sauce. Weaving in grilled zucchini makes this sauce extra creamy, rich, and savory.
Of course the pesto sauce has your essentials: basil, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
But it also uses nutritional yeast for a plant-based alternative to cheese. This cheesy addition helps add to the rich and umami flavor.
Finally, I use hemp seeds for a nut-free pesto substitute. They are naturally creamy and have a bit of an earthy flavor, really helping to bring out the essence of summer al fresco.
What Ingredients You'll Need
This recipe comes together with simple ingredients and is composed of pasta, a creamy, plant-based pesto, grilled zucchini and charred corn.
- Rotini: To me, rotini reminds me of summer pasta salads, but use any pasta shape that you prefer!
- Zucchini: Like eggplant, when cooked just right, zucchini gets incredibly juicy and soft. You could also use summer squash as a substitute. Half of the grilled zucchini is used in the pesto and half is tossed with the pasta.
- Frozen corn: Okay. You could totally husk your corn, grill it, and cut off all of the kernels from each ear...but that feels like a bit more work and time than what I'd like for this recipe. Know that this is an option if you prefer grilled corn! Below, you'll find details on how to char frozen corn to get that "grilled" look and taste without too much effort.
- Basil pesto: My pesto recipe below includes nutritional yeast for cheesy, umami flavor, fresh basil, hemp seeds for a nut-free alternative to pesto, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
How to Make this Recipe
When making a recipe that involves both the stove and the grill, I like to take care of all of the "indoor" cooking before heading outdoors.
Start by boiling salted water for the pasta and cooking it according to the package instructions. I use a gluten-free rotini which can come apart really easily if cooked for too long. Be careful to keep an eye on your pasta and always use a timer!
While the pasta is cooking slice the zucchini lengthwise into ½-inch pieces. Lay each piece out on a baking sheet or tray and drizzle on olive oil and add salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning into each piece, making sure to coat both sides.
When done, drain the pasta and add it to a large bowl. I like to toss it with a little olive oil to prevent the pasta noodles from sticking together.
Next, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Cast iron works great here to really give it that "grilled" effect. Once warm, empty half of a small bag of frozen corn into the pan and stir over medium heat until the corn is slightly blackened. Be careful not to burn, but make sure you get a nice char as it will really add to the depth of flavor in the overall dish. Add the corn to the bowl with the pasta.
Once the pasta and the corn are done, it's time to fire up the grill! Before turning up the heat, use a paper towel and tongs to brush the grates of the grill. Turn the grill to medium heat, aiming for about 400-450F. When the grill is hot, place each zucchini slice on the grates and grill for 3-5 minutes before flipping and repeating on the other side. The zucchini should be soft and more yellow in color.
Transfer the zucchini to a cutting board to chop. Be careful when chopping as the zucchini will still be hot. Separate the chopped zucchini into two different piles. Add one half of the zucchini to the pasta bowl and the other to a blender.
Add the remaining pesto ingredients to the blender to create the sauce. Pour the sauce into the pasta bowl, stir, and serve. Add some extra fresh basil to garnish!
If you've been eyeing the grilled sourdough in the background, check out my Grilled Romaine with Vegan Caesar Dressing recipe where I include a recipe for Grilled Sourdough. 😉 Or serve this dish with garlic bread!
This summery pasta is meant to be enjoyed outdoors. 🙂 Tell me about your al fresco dining experience in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Grilled Zucchini Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Grill
- Blender
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 ounces rotini
- 4 zucchini
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 5 ounces frozen corn about half of a small bag
Basil Pesto
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves plus extra for garnish
- ¼ cup hemp seeds
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Boil water and cook the pasta according to package instructions, being careful not to cook for too long. Set a timer :).
- While the pasta is cooking, slice the zucchini lengthwise into ½-inch pieces. Place them onto a baking sheet or tray. Measure out a tablespoon of olive oil and gently drizzle the oil onto both sides of each zucchini slice. Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top and use your hands to rub in the oil and seasonings onto both sides of each piece.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and add to a large bowl. I like to drizzle a little olive oil into the bowl to prevent the noodles from sticking.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan (preferably a cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Once warm, add the frozen corn. Heat over medium until the corn starts to char, being careful not to let the pan smoke. This process should take about 5 minutes or so. When ready, toss the corn into the bowl with the pasta.
- Prep the grill by using a paper towel in tongs with some oil to grease the grates. Turn the heat to medium to reach a temperature around 400-450F. Once hot, place each zucchini slice on the grill. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side, then transfer to a cutting board. The zucchini should be soft and more yellow in color.
- Chop the grilled zucchini. Then separate the chopped zucchini into two separate piles. Place half of the chopped zucchini into the pasta bowl and the rest into a blender. Add the remaining pesto ingredients to the blender. Blend on high until a creamy sauce forms. Scoop into the pasta bowl.
- Gently stir all of the pasta ingredients together, garnish with extra fresh basil if desired, and serve immediately.
More Summer Recipes!
Grilled Romaine with Vegan Caesar Dressing
