GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH ROBIOLA CHEESE AND PESTO

Grilled Vegetables With Robiola Cheese And Pesto image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Time 1h20m

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 large clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound robiola cheese (see note)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut lengthwise into 1 1/2-inch-thick strips
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 fennel bulbs, tops trimmed off, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
8 small scallions, trimmed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Steps:

Sprinkle the cut sides of the eggplants with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place cut side down on paper towels and let drain for 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry.
Meanwhile, place the basil, garlic, pine nuts, 1/4 cup of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cheese and pulse just until combined. The mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving.
Start a charcoal grill. Brush the vegetables on both sides with the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with thyme. Grill the vegetables until crisp-tender. Mound the cheese mixture in the center of a platter and surround with the grilled vegetables. Serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 678, UnsaturatedFat 33 grams, Carbohydrate 36 grams, Fat 53 grams, Fiber 15 grams, Protein 21 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 915 milligrams, Sugar 20 grams, TransFat 1 gram