Tuscan Grilled Vegetable Penne

Preheat barbecue grill to medium-high or oven to 500°F (260°C).

In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, cook penne for 13 min or according to package directions, until tender. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, toss asparagus and sweet pepper with melted butter and place in a grilling basket (or place on a rimmed baking sheet if using oven). Place basket on grill, close lid and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 min, turning vegetables halfway through (or roast for 7 to 9 min, shaking the baking sheet halfway through) or until asparagus is tender-crisp and peppers are slightly softened.

Chop vegetables into bite- size pieces and place in a serving bowl. Add pasta, beans, Canadian Provolone cheese, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and toss. If the pasta seems dry, stir in enough of the reserved cooking water to moisten.

Depending on the thickness of the asparagus spears the cooking time will vary.

In place of asparagus, substitute 1 lb (500 g) trimmed green beans and grill or roast for 9 min, or until green beans are tender-crisp and lightly browned, it’s okay to roast the sweet pepper longer.

For the Adventurous: Use Canadian smoked Provolone cheese and add 1/2 cup (125 ml) olives and 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped chives with the pasta.