What's For Dinner? Penne with Grilled Summer Squash and Sweet Corn

Ingredients

• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 4 yellow summer squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.) - halved crosswise and each half cut lengthwise into 3 thick slabs (Make Ahead! Grill the summer squash up to 2 days ahead of using.) - I actually didn't have summer squash on hand so I used a giant yellow zucchini
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tomatoes, chopped- I used Roma tomatoes
  
• 1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn), or use frozen
• 1 container (15 oz.) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 2 tsp. chopped thyme - please use FRESH not dried...it adds amazing flavor!
  

Preparation

Preheat a grill to medium-high. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, brush the squash pieces with 1/4 cup EVOO and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until nicely charred, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, corn and remaining 2 tbsp. EVOO. Add the ricotta, garlic and thyme; toss well. Add the drained pasta and stir in about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add more cooking water as desired.

I actually did this all completely different - I put some EVOO in a pan with the minced garlic and a small pat of butter...then I added the chopped tomatoes and corn. In the meantime, I grilled the zucchini (in slices, lengthwise)...once that was just about finished, I chopped up the zucchini and tossed that with the tomatoes and corn. THEN, I added the ricotta cheese and thyme and mixed it all together. This recipe needs a good amount of sea salt and black pepper for flavoring - it could be a tad bland if you aren't careful to season everything well.

Here's how it turned out!

Doesn't it look delish?!

I wish that I could say that the kids loved it.

They didn't.

But maybe you'll get lucky and yours will. :)

My husband and I LOVED it. And it's filling so you don't need much.

I personally thought that it was a perfect recipe for a summer evening - no heavy meat (or meat at all for that matter) and no oven needed. :)

I served it with a salad...

And grilled peaches for dessert!

Oh.my.word...if you never grilled peaches before...now is the time to do it! Peaches are in season and if you buy them at a farm stand...HELLO. DIVINE. Grocery store peaches, not so much.

I got the idea to grill them from Rachael Ray...again...in the same mag that I got my previous 2 recipes from. It's so simple...slice the peaches (remove the skin first) and put them on the grill...I don't know for how long...just long enough for grill marks...you'll be able to tell. I again, used my George Foreman. It makes for easier clean up and the peaches will have an easier time staying on the grill instead of slipping down off the rack. Once they've been grilled to perfection by wonderfully creative you, place them in a pretty little ramekin and top them with real whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon.

TO.DIE. I swear to you. And fairly healthy I would say too...depending on how much whipped cream you use. ;)

It's the perfect ending to a summer meal. I really think that you'll love it.

I'm sad that I used up all of my peaches because they were on the verge of being too ripe but man were they sweet and so so delicious.

As Pearl Smooter said in Sweet Home Alabama, "Some people might call them "spoiled"... but I think that these almost-ruined ones... sometimes make the sweetest jam."

I love that quote. Been dying to use it somewhere. So, there you go.

In fruit and in life, sometimes the almost ruined ones make the sweetest jam.

:)

FUN FACT: The song that is playing right now is called Recipe for Makin' Love by Harry Connick, Jr. My husband and I had it playing during the cake cutting part of our wedding reception. Ahhhhh...memories. :)