Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash with Red Lentil Pasta

Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash

with Red Lentil Pasta

By Holly Hageman

I'm not completely on any diet; however, I love to cook healthy and light,  so most of my recipes I create and develop are on the light, grain-free, and meatless side simply because I feel so much better when I eat this way! I also love to grow my own vegetables and herbs so I know what type of dirt they've grown from as well as what they're not sprayed with. My great-grandfathers were both descended from a line of Ohio farmers, and I guess it's still in my blood; however, I take the easier route simply because I don't have the time or energy to weed and water my garden. I mention this on almost every recipe I share because it's such a basic foundation to how I cook. I have 10 earthboxes on my deck with automatic irrigation. The only work involved is setting them up in the spring and planting them. From there, all that's left is to watch them grow, and to walk out on my deck when it's time to make dinner to pick my veggies and herbs. 

My all-time favorite discovery this season has been lentil pasta. It has literally one ingredient - red lentils. Lentils are rich in protein, and this pasta has me totally hooked. You have a faint aroma of lentils while cooking, but once it's served it's one of the best-tasting grain- and gluten-free food options out there! You can hardly tell it's pasta made from lentils!

Ingredients:

2 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise

2 small yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise

1 diced fresh beefsteak tomato or a dozen cherry/grape tomatoes, halved

2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped, optional

1 clove diced garlic

olive oil

salt 

pepper

Parmesan or asiago cheese, shredded

This recipe is both quick and easy. The first step is to prepare the squash and zucchini for grilling. (I added some fresh, diced tomatoes to my meal after it's finished; however, if you prefer grilled, while it's fired up, add the tomatoes to the ziplock with the zucchini and skewer them to place on grill with zucchini.) Slice two small zucchini and two yellow summer squash lengthwise. Place in a ziplock bag with garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and 2 Tablespoons of thyme leaves. Let sit while setting a medium size pot on the stove with water to boil. Heat barbecue grill to medium heat.

Cook lentil noodles according to package directions.

Place squash on grill and grill about 4 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired tenderness. 

Slice grilled squash to desired thickness, add tomatoes, salt and pepper, another drizzle of olive oil and toss. 

Serve with shredded asiago or parmesan cheese on top.