This post title reminds me of an old joke from the 70’s when vegetarianism was growing in popularity.
A friend to his roommate: “We’re having vegetarians for dinner tonight.”
The roommate’s response: “Aren’t they tough and stringy?”
All jokes aside, I know a lot of people who are thrown into a panic when they learn their dinner guests are vegetarian or vegan.
The funny thing is that most people eat vegetarian meals often without noticing it. Pasta dishes are the easiest to point out: spaghetti with pesto, cacio e pepe, marinara, or alla Norma. All vegetarian. And that is the tip of the iceberg.
We then branch out and look at frittatas, cheese soufflés, green corn tamales, eggplant rollatini, and all variety of risotti. I could go on and on... just check out the vegetarian options in my list of All the Recipes.
Sure, it gets a little harder when you eliminate dairy to make it vegan. I used to panic over that, myself. Until I realized the same thing. We eat vegan quite often.
Ratatouille. Moroccan chickpea salad. Sweet potato and chickpea curry. Thai cauliflower stir fry. Think of lentils and pulses — so much variety there!
Now some unsolicited advice: imagine you are having a dinner party and one person coming is vegan. I beg of you - do not make them a separate, special dish to accommodate them. That is what restaurants do.
No - they are in your home and you, as the host, should make everyone the same exact meal. Do not make your vegan friend feel awkward by making them feel singled out or lesser. And let's be honest - it wouldn't hurt anyone to eat a vegan meal now and then.
You can always serve something vegan and offer a variety of toppings that might include dairy or meat products for the others (think grated cheese, crumbled bacon, etc).
For me, cooking is as much a gift to my friends as it is a way for me to be creative. I imagine that it is the same for you - if you invite friends into your home, you don’t simply want to feed them, you want them to feel they are as special to you as you are to them.
This is a go-to for us when entertaining vegetarians/vegans, as well as for ourselves in summer when garden vegetables are abundant, the weather is hot, and we are too tired to cook much. When we serve this grilled veggie pasta, we put out bowls of torn fresh basil leaves, pepper flakes, and grated cheese. We also make sure to get vegan cheese for our guests. Each gets to choose her/his topping and everyone is happy.
~ David
Grilled Veggie Pasta
Not only is this a great dish for vegetarians/vegans, it is also really easy to leave out certain things if someone is allergic or simply doesn’t like something. The most frequent culprits are eggplant and mushrooms! Below is a basic guide for what I use, but feel free to add new things or make changes that will make it your own.
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow (summer) squash
1 small eggplant
1 large or two small bell peppers
6-8 mushrooms (I like shiitakes)
2 large shallots
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs of fresh oregano, leaves stripped
12-16 ounces short pasta; I like campanelle
fresh basil leaves
chile flakes
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, regular or vegan
Prepare the vegetables. Halve the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise and then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place then in a large mixing bowl. Peel the eggplant (the skin burns very easily on the grill), and cut into pieces similar in size to the squashes. Add the eggplant to the mixing bowl with the squashes. Halve the pepper(s) and remove the core, seeds and ribs. Cut into 1-inch pieces, then add to the other veggies. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and cut the caps into quarters, and add to the bowl. Peel and cut the shallots into 1/2-inch chunks and, with the tomatoes, add to the veggie mixture.
Pour the olive oil and vinegar over the vegetables and season with salt, pepper and leaves of oregano. Toss well and set aside to marinate.
Light the grill and set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. When the water boils, add salt and the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, place a grill pan over the heat (coals or gas). When hot, add the vegetables and, with a spatula, spread them into a single layer. Let them cook for a bit, then toss often as they continue to grill. Some pieces will char a bit, but don’t worry - the final flavor will be wonderful!
When the veggies are done to your liking, return them to the bowl. If the pasta isn’t ready yet, cover the vegetables with foil to keep them warm. When the pasta is done, add it to the veggies and toss well to mix. Add a bit of the pasta water if you want more of a sauce.
Divide among 4 bowls and serve with bowls of torn basil leaves, chile flakes, and grated cheese.
Serves 4.
Labels: grilled vegetables, grilled veggies, pasta, vegan
