Penne with Grilled Portabellas and Pecorino
Serves4 (main course)
- Active time:25 min
- Start to finish:30 min
Mushrooms in general are great for grilling, and portabellas—which not only have a wonderful, earthy flavor but are also large enough to be easy to handle on the grill—are perhaps the best of all.
- 1 1/4 lb portabella mushrooms (about 6), stemmed
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3/4 lb penne
- 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or oregano
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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Brush mushroom caps with vegetable oil and season with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.
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Oil grill rack, then grill mushrooms, stemmed sides down, covered only if using a gas grill, 5 minutes. Turn mushrooms over and grill until tender, about 3 minutes more. Cool slightly and slice.
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Cook penne in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 3 Tbsp cooking water, then drain pasta.
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Toss pasta with reserved cooking water, mushrooms, Pecorino, marjoram, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cooks’ notes:
- Portabellas can be grilled in batches in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat, turning once, until tender, about 10 minutes per batch.
- Portabellas can be grilled 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.
