Serves4 (main course)
- Active time:25 min
- Start to finish:30 min
CHRIS SCHLESINGER AND JOHN WILLOUGHBY
June 2009
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
-
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas); see “
Grilling Procedure.”
-
Brush mushroom caps with vegetable oil and season with 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.
-
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.
-
Cook penne in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 3 Tbsp cooking water, then drain pasta.
-
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.
