Grilled Veggie and Flank Steak Linguine

There really is no science to this dish. You just grill your favorite veggies, grill a small piece of flank steak (or use any leftover meat), cut them to bite size and toss them with pasta, a bit of marinara sauce, and of course don't forget the Parmesan. It's really that easy and it's a great dish to make outside on your grill on one of those super hot days when the last place you want to be is in the kitchen. You can even cook the pasta outdoors if your grill has a burner.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• About 3/4 pound flank steak
• 1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 red bell pepper, quartered
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 pound linguine
• 1/2 cup your favorite marinara sauce, heated
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

To make the marinade: in a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together 4 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place flank steak in a plastic resealable bag and add the marinade. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Bring steak to room temperature before grilling.

Light the grill to high.

In a large shallow bowl, toss the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper. Grill or broil in batches, turning the vegetables once, until they are tender and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cut the vegetables into 1 1/2-inch pieces.

Grill the flank steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or grill to your desired doneness. Cover steak with foil and let rest 5 minutes. When meat is well rested, thinly slice into strips by cutting against the grain.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and toss with 1 tablespoon of the reserved pasta water, heated marinara sauce, the vegetables and the sliced beef. Add more pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Top with some Parmesan cheese and pass additional Parmesan at the table.