Recipe by Pascal Lorange, executive chef and owner of Crudo in San Diego, CA
Ingredients:
½ lb capellini
½ cup olive oil, plus 1/3 cup
½ lb pitted Niçoise olives
1 tsp Tabasco
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
½ cherry tomatoes
¼ lb cippolini onions, halved and peeled
½ zucchini, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
1 Japanese eggplant, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
1 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
- In a large pot, boil water with salt and 2 T olive oil. Cook the capellini al dente according to package directions. Rinse with cool water to prevent overcooking. Drain and then transfer to a sheet pan. Coat with 2 Tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Reserve.
- While the pasta cooks, make the tapenade. In a blender or food processor, add the olives, 1/3 cup olive oil, Tabasco, and basil. Pulse until slightly chunky and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
- Preheat your grill to direct high heat or until coals are white and ashy. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and eggplant with ¼ cup olive oil, plus salt and pepper. Using a cast-iron skillet char the tomatoes and onions in the skillet until they soften slightly, two to three minutes. Grill the zucchini and eggplant on the grates until charred and softened slightly, about two minutes on each side. Remove the vegetable from the grill and allow to cool.
