Peak grilling season calls for a pasta sauce that’s made from some charred veggies and a hint of saffron for richness.

ingredients

GROUP A: ROASTED VEGGIE MARINARA*

• 1 delicata squash

• 1 small shallot

• 2 baby carrots

• 2 small sweet peppers

• 2 - 4 large pods of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like your pasta sauce)

• 3 - 4 strands of saffron

• 1/2 tbsp warm milk

*These proportions make approximately 1 cup of sauce. Store the remainder in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Use it as a marinade for your meats, or as a cracker dip too!

GROUP B: CHICKEN

• 4 - 5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

• 1 tsp olive oil (I used a smoked Chabani chili oil, but it will taste just as good with regular olive oil)

• 1/4 tsp dried marjoram

• 1/4 tsp garlic salt

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1/4 tsp dried oregano

• Salt & pepper, to taste

GROUP C: PASTA & EVERYTHING ELSE

• 2 - 2.5 oz dry fettucine pasta

• 2 tbsp heavy cream

• Finely minced chives

• Pea shoots

method

• In a small bowl, add the saffron strands to the warm milk. Mix well, and let it infuse till it is time to use.

• Cut the chicken into small 1/8” cubes and season with the oil and spices in Group B. Set aside to marinate for 20 - 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 420 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the squash into quarters and scoop out all the seeds. Peel the garlic pods and place them on a separate piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle the squash and garlic with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper all over, and cover up the garlic pods completely by making a closed pocket of the aluminum foil ball. Place the squash flesh-side downwards on the baking tray. Oven-roast both, the squash and garlic, for 20 minutes. Let everything cool down to room temperature before transferring to a blender.

• Slice the baby carrots, sweet peppers, and shallot into halves, and grill them till they are nicely charred on the edges. Let them cool down at room temperature as well.

• Add the oven-roasted and pan-roasted veggies to a blender, along with salt & pepper to taste. Blend into a thick gravy-like paste. Add the saffron infused milk to this paste and mix well. Set aside.

• Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, add salt to it, and cook the pasta al dente. Once cooked, drain the hot water, toss the pasta in cold water, and add a drop of butter or olive oil and mix, to keep the strands from sticking to each other.

• Saute the chicken in a skillet till it is well cooked. Transfer to a bowl, and to the same skillet, add 2 - 3 tablespoons of the grilled vegetable sauce. Add the heavy cream, some water to dilute the sauce if you’d like, and cook on medium heat while stirring continuously for a minute.

• Add this sauce to the cooked pasta and toss well to fully coat the pasta. Top with the chicken, sprinkle the minced chives, and top with the pea shoots.