Grilled Vegetables With Basil and Feta Cheese

It's peak season for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, garlic and basil, and now is the time to capitalize on how delicious they taste together. Try this warm pasta dish bursting with fresh flavors, complex carbohydrates and protein.

Yield: 4 11/2-cup portions

1 large Portobello mushroom cap
4 plum tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 red onion
1 small fennel bulb
1 zucchini
1 small Japanese eggplant
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup vegetable stock
6 ounces fresh chicory, cut into 1-inch pieces
2-3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 cups cooked whole-wheat penne pasta
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Halve tomatoes and bell pepper lengthwise and remove seeds. Slice red onion into 1/2-inch rounds. Cut fennel bulb, zucchini and eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices; leave mushroom whole. Brush all vegetables with olive oil and grill until well marked but not blackened. Remove to a bowl and cover, allowing them to steam until very tender and juicy. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables and any liquid from the bowl, plus the stock and chicory. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss until chicory wilts and vegetables are heated through. Remove from heat and toss in the pasta, feta cheese and fresh herbs.