Active Time

　　25 min

　　Total Time

　　35 min

　　Mushrooms in general are great for grilling, and portabellas—which not only have a wonderful, earthy flavor but are also large enough to be easy to handle on the grill—are perhaps the best of all.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 (main course) servings

　　1 1/4 pound portabella mushrooms (about 6), stemmed

　　3 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　3/4 pound penne

　　3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano

　　1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or oregano

　　1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　

Step 1

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .

　　

Step 2

Brush mushroom caps with vegetable oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Oil grill rack, then grill mushrooms, stemmed sides down, covered only if using a gas grill, 5 minutes. Turn mushrooms over and grill until tender, about 3 minutes more. Cool slightly and slice.

　　

Step 4

Cook penne in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 3 tablespoon cooking water, then drain pasta.

　　

Step 5

Toss pasta with reserved cooking water, mushrooms, Pecorino, marjoram, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　•Portabellas can be grilled in batches in a lightly oiled hot grill pan over medium-high heat, turning once, until tender, about 10 minutes per batch.

　　•Portabellas can be grilled 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.