Grilled Tomato Pasta with basil and goat cheese

Grilling the tomatoes concentrates their flavor slightly while still leaving them fresh enough to make a light, juicy sauce. Studded with cubes of fresh cheese, this dish is a summery crowd-pleaser.
Alternate: you may change out the large tomatoes for an equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes. No need to cut them in half, just cook then until they start to burst.

Yield:
serves 4 persons
Category:
Pasta
Cuisine:
Italian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 unpeeled garlic cloves
  • 5 scallions
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium to large tomatoes, halved
  • 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more, for brushing
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup basil, leaves rolled and then cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, sliced almonds or pepitas
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, feta or goat cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 8 ounces farfalle, penne or other short pasta

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Light a grill and preheat for at least 10 minutes or preheat a grill pan. Oil the grates. Meanwhile, soak 1 bamboo skewer for 10 minutes. Thread the garlic on the skewer. Brush the scallions and the cut sides of the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Grill the garlic and scallions over high heat, turning frequently, until blistered in spots and softened; about 2 minutes. Grill the tomatoes cut side down until nicely charred, about 2 minutes. Flip and grill until the skin starts to shrink, about 1 minute.
  3. Peel the garlic and finely chop, then transfer to a large bowl. Thinly slice the scallions crosswise and transfer to the bowl. Add the can of diced tomatoes. Dice the freshly grilled tomatoes and add them to the garlic and scallions.
  4. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain. Add the hot pasta, the cheese, the 2 tablespoons of olive oil a

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