Did you see my last post for Basil Pecan Pesto? Make sure you check that out, because you’ll need it for today’s recipe! It’s summer, and squash is everywhere. Our zucchini was doing fantastic until recently. For some reason it stopped producing and the leaves turned yellow. Yes, I watered. I don’t think too much either. I trimmed it back and I’m now seeing some new growth coming in, so hopefully I’ll be back in business with the zucchini soon!
To use up the last of our zucchini, I wanted to grill it up with a few other veggies and try something new. I always love the flavor you get from grilling vegetables. It really seems to bring out their natural sweetness. Those perfect grill marks are always nice, too!
With your pesto already made, this dish comes together fairly quickly. Really though, pesto doesn’t take much time to make either, so it’s not that much of an undertaking to get this to the table on a busy evening. Make someone else do the dishes that night. I always do!
Brushing the vegetables with a cooking fat will help keep them from sticking to the grill as well as add a bit of caramelized flavor. I prefer to use Omghee for it’s amazing flavor, nutritional value, and heat stability, but you can use coconut oil, butter or other healthy saturated fats as they are not damaged at high heat.
If you have leftover, be sure to throw them in with your eggs the next morning. Such a great burst of flavor!
Pesto Grilled Veggies
Ingredients
- 2 medium Zucchini
- 3 small Yellow Squash
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1/2 Red Onion
- 1-2 Tbsp Ghee melted
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Pesto (see notes for link to Basil Pecan Pesto)
- Chopped Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium heat (about 350-400 degrees).
- Cut the zucchini and yellow squash in half lengthwise.
- Starting with a whole onion, cut the onion in half root to tip. Keeping the root end intact will help hold it together on the grill.
- Place the cut zucchini, yellow squash and onion on a baking sheet. Brush all the cut sides with melted ghee and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- When the grill is up to temperature, place the cut side of the vegetables face down on the grill. The whole bell pepper can sit directly on the grill as well.
- Close the lid and grill for about 10 minutes. Turn the bell pepper every couple minutes to get a char on all sides. Check the vegetables periodically to make sure they don't burn. You just want some good grill marks on the cut sides.
- When the vegetables are done, remove them from the grill and let sit for 5 minutes.
- When cool enough to touch, carefully cut the vegetables and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Slice the yellow squash and zucchini 1/4" thick. Dice the red bell pepper, and roughly chop the red onion. Please be careful cutting the onion as it will be a bit slippery!
- Add the pesto to the mixing bowl and carefully toss the vegetables to combine.
- Top with a bit of chopped parsley to garnish.
- Serve warm or at room temperature and enjoy!