Grilled Meatball And Fusilli Pasta Salad Food

PAD THAI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt and cook the pasta according to the package's directions for al dente. Drain, shaking occasionally to prevent sticking, until cooled to room temperature. 2. Meanwhile, zest the limes into a large bowl and squeeze in 1/3 cup juice. Whisk in the fish sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, and a pinch each salt and pepper. 3. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet along with half the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the shrimp is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the dressing. 4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the same skillet along with the remaining garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and scallion greens and cook, stirring, until barely wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to the bowl with the dressing. 5. Add the carrots, pasta, and peanuts to the bowl. Toss until everything is well-coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallions and remaining peanuts. Serve warm, at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve cold.

GRILLED MEATBALL AND FUSILLI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• For the iced tea: Pour 4 cups boiling water over teabags in a heatproof pitcher and allow to brew, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove teabags and add sweetener to taste. Stir in 6 cups ice cubes until melted. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes two quarts. For the pasta salad: Toss the tomatoes, oil, vinegar, crushed red pepper, half the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; let sit at room temperature.
• Stir together the breadcrumbs, milk, onion, oregano, egg and remaining garlic in a large bowl; let sit for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
• Brush a baking sheet with oil and set aside. Shave half the Pecorino into long, thin strips with a vegetable peeler; set aside. Finely grate the remaining Pecorino and add to the breadcrumb mixture. Add the ground pork and mix everything with your hands until just combined. Roll level teaspoons of the pork mixture into about 30 small meatballs, placing them on the oiled baking sheet as you form them. Thread 5 meatballs onto each skewer. Freeze the skewers to firm up the meatballs (and help keep them from sticking to the grill), about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare a grill or large grill pan for cooking over medium-high heat.
• Add the fusilli to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Strain the pasta well, add to the bowl with the tomato mixture and stir to combine; set aside.
• Brush the skewers all over with oil. Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the skewers, rotating as needed to ensure even cooking, until the meatballs are charred in spots on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skewers, and add to the pasta, along with the shaved Pecorino, mozzarella and basil. Add salt if needed. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Drizzle with additional oil before serving.

HERB GRILLED VEGETABLE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In large nonmetal dish or 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix dressing, Italian seasoning, bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant and onion; turn to coat. Cover, or seal bag; let stand 1 hour to blend flavors.
• Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain well; set aside.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill. Place vegetables in grill basket (grill "wok"), or place directly on grill rack; reserve dressing.
• Place grill basket on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning vegetables and brushing with dressing once, until tender.
• In large serving bowl, combine pasta with reserved dressing, salt and pepper. Dice vegetables; fold into pasta in bowl. Sprinkle cheese over top.

GRILLED ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except pasta sauce in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
• If using charcoal- build your fire and make it low-medium heat, about 225-250°F Coat the grates with oil or non-stick spray.
• Shape mixture into balls slightly smaller than a baseball, but bigger than a golf ball and then set them aside. UPDATE: I started using a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture and it makes the meatballs just the right size.
• Pour half of the sauce in a grill (oven) safe stock pot or roasting pan that will be large enough to hold all the meatballs. Place the pot/pan on the grill away from the direct heat when the fire is ready.
• When the grill is ready place the meatballs directly over the heat and sear on both the top and bottom for 3-5 minutes per side.
• When you are done searing the meatballs, place them away from the direct heat (I have a top rack on my grill and place them here).
• Let them cook for 5-8 more minutes or until the meatballs are firm, but not fully cooked and then place all the meatballs in the pot/pan and place that directly over the heat source.
• Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees F (you could also cut a meatball in half to make sure that the meat is no longer pink in the middle).

GRILLED PASTA WITH GRILLED MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together the meat, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, bread crumbs, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the water. Knead the water into the meat mixture with your hands. Knead and form meatballs into about 1 1/2-inch balls with a 2-ounce scoop (see Chef's Note) or roll into balls with your hands.
• VAC-PACKED COOKING METHOD: Seal the meatballs with just a teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and cook them in 130°F water for 35 minutes.
• OLD-WORLD COOKING METHOD: Place the meatballs in a large saucepan or skillet on the stove (use 2 pans if they don't all fit in a single pan), add 1/2 cup of the water over them (1/2 cup water to each pan if using 2 pans), and cover. Steam the meatballs over medium heat for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a platter and refrigerate until you're ready to grill them.
• Turn a gas grill to high or ignite charcoal. When the grill is hot, for both gas and charcoal grills, clean your grill rack. Decrease the temperature to medium-high (on a gas grill only), and brush or wipe a little olive oil on the grill rack.
• In batches, grill the meatballs in a cast-iron pan or plancha on the grill until they're well-browned all the way around, 4 minutes total for the vac-packed meatballs and about 6 minutes total for the pan-cooked meatballs. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Fill a large pot with about 5 quarts of water, add the kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat on your stove. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Spread the pasta on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, so it won't stick together.
• Lightly oil a long, flat grill basket or spritz with nonstick cooking spray. With tongs, add half the pasta to the basket, arranging it in a thin even layer. (If you have two grill baskets, cook both batches of pasta at once.) Place the basket on a rack over hot coals and turn frequently, until the pasta turns a golden color. You'll hear it crackling during grilling.
• Empty the grill basket into a large heat-proof bowl. Toss the pasta with 1 to 2 cups of Grilled Tomato Sauce. If it needs some moisture, add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss again. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the pecorino cheese. Toss. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the remaining pecorino cheese, and serve immediately.