Monday, July 26, 2010

Pasta with Zucchini, Parmesan and Garlic Oil



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...What do you get when finely shredded zucchini is tossed with Aglio e Olio? In my kitchen it becomes an easy entrée that's perfect for a Meatless Monday meal. If you have a julienne peeler to use for shredding the zucchini, you can have this dish on the table in about 20 minutes. I'm not much for kitchen gadgets, but this is one I heartily recommend you add to your inventory. If you haven't seen one of these, you can find one here. I'm not affiliated with these people and my purpose in featuring the peeler is to simplify food preparation rather than sell a kitchen tool. Zucchini that is finely julienned needs no cooking and can be tossed with hot pasta without additional fussing. It helps, however, to have the vegetables at room temperature if you take this route. It's important when you make a dish as simple as this to use ingredients of the highest possible quality. Fortunately, that does not always mean the most expensive. I always serve this pasta with focaccia bread and a crisp green salad to add a bit of texture to the meal. I know you'll enjoy this very easy dish. Here's the recipe.

Pasta with Zucchini, Parmesan and Garlic Oil...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. dried spaghetti
1 (8-oz.) zucchini, finely julienned
1 (8-oz.) yellow squash, finely julienned
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley or fresh basil
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Bring large pot of water to boil; add salt. Add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
2) Season zucchini and squash with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3) Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add garlic. Sauté briefly, until light brown. Add pepper flakes and basil or parsley. Mix well. Remove from heat.
4) When pasta is done, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pan. Add zucchini, reserved 1/4 cup oil, garlic mixture from step 3, and 1/2 cup cheese. Toss well, adding cooking water as needed to make a smooth sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese and serve at once. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Fusilli with Walnuts and Garlic Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Penne with Asparagus and Lemon Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Pasta Puttanesca - One Perfect Bite
Fresh Garden Vegetables with Pasta - Living the Gourmet
Cold Sesame Noodles - The Parsley Thief
Rigatoni Peperonata - The Comfort of Cooking

89 comments :

Pondside said...

This looks like a great way to help deal with the glut of zucchini that will surely occur soon!

Deb in Hawaii said...

This looks like a light and delicious dinner for summer--so pretty to look at too! ;-)

RV said...

Delicious looking summery meal!!

scrambledhenfruit said...

Yay! A recipe for my new peeler! I just ordered one of these julienne peelers from a friend having a kitchen gadget party. It hasn't been delivered yet, but I know what I'm making when it gets here! This looks beautiful-Thanks for sharing :)

Tiffiny Felix said...

Yum! I *love* this! :)

Alexandra said...

oh, that looks perfect. I am going to do it tomorrow. What a wonderful summer dinner...

Little Inbox said...

I still have one zucchini in the fridge. I should get it cook soon. :)

cocoa and coconut said...

Zucchini is one of my favourite vegetables. Particularly when its in ribbons. Lovely and well planned recipe - thanks Mary!

Monet said...

I've been wanting to get a julienne peeler for a while now. After seeing this delicious bowl of pasta, I think I might want to pick one up tomorrow. What a lovely summer pasta dish.
Thank you for sharing!

J e l e n a said...

zucchini is such an underused vegetable, so low in calories, but it needs a kick to it because of the lack of flavor...this is a great creation and parmesan gives it that extra touch

Adelina said...

Gorgeous dish! - yes, one of those julienne peelers would really do a neat job. I use my food processor to julienne my veggies, and the outcome is good enough! Thanks for sharing this beautiful and healthy recipe!

Rita said...

What a great recipe; right up my alley. I have one of those peelers and love it.
Rita

Priya Suresh said...

Thats a great looking and fabulous pasta..

Diane said...

Yet another way to use up my surplus supply of courgette in the garden. Thanks. Diane

Unknown said...

This is such a great dish, so simple, so tasty, so fresh and so PRETTY!

fb Linking!

Ana Powell said...

Lovely dish, light and so delicious ♥

Sook said...

Wow, I love the idea of adding zucchini to the pasta. Delicious and healthy!

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

Absolutely amazing recipe. Hats off to your energy levels dear.

Lynn said...

I love meals like this, nice and easy but very tasty!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I want one of those gadgets Mary.

April said...

This looks delish!!! Not to heavy for these hot summer days!

From the Kitchen said...

Mary, I picked up a julienne cutter yesterday at Sur la Table. Now I don't have to haul out the mandolin. I usually saute my julienned zucchini but next time I'm doing it your way and just adding it to the warm pasta.

Have a great week!

Best,
Bonnie

penny aka jeroxie said...

Nice! I need the cutter too.... awesome :)

Martha said...

Simple and deicious and a dish that screams summer!

Deana Sidney said...

The one thing I don't miss about my garden is the tyranny of the zucchini glut. Now I don't have to make zucchini dishes I can make it when I want and this is one of the recipes I will go for... thanks MAry!

Simply Life said...

oh what a perfect pasta dish!

Unknown said...

that's my kind of meal. what a great dish! summer on a bowl. delish. Michael.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful dish. I make something very similar to this, but I cut the zucchini into half moons. I'm going to try it this way next time I make it...thanks for sharing!!

Unknown said...

Oh this looks beautiful! A perfect summer dish...garlic oil, zucchini ribbons, pasta...hard to beat! Thanks Mary!

PranisKitchen said...

thats so delicious combination pasta with zuchini.. what a grt color

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I love that pasta with the beautiful long strips of zucchini. I'm going to try using my mandoline to achieve this.

tata | bonitafood said...

Your cooking never fails to make hungry only by looking at its photo :D

black eyed susans kitchen said...

This looks to be the perfect Monday night dinner for us, Mary! Our garden is producing quite a bit, and even the tomato's are starting to turn red...funny how this excites me.

Biren said...

Zucchinis are such versatile vegetables and can be added to most dishes. This pasta is perfect for Meatless Monday. I have to get me one of those julienne peelers.

Susi's Kochen und Backen said...

Mary, this is simplicity at its best. What a glorious summer meal. This is going on my list!

Unknown said...

Great dish, wish I had it right this minute.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

I have one of those gadgets i use mainly for carrots, not I'm going to try this on zucchini and this pasta.

ann said...

Simple , perfect and delicious. Can't wait to try! ann

Unknown said...

Beautiful bowl of summer pasta, my zucchini are just coming in now, can't wait!

StephenC said...

I am fortunate to own a mandoline which easily makes julienne strips of zucchini. Thanks for giving me a great idea!

Patti said...

This sounds and looks delicious. We are huge pasta eaters in our family. I will definitely be giving this recipe a try.

Thank you for sharing,
Patti

Eliana said...

What an excellent meal. Wish I had a bowl of this for lunch right now.

Chats the Comfy Cook said...

This is perfect for the light meals, I am making an effort to prepare.

It also turns out to be a pretty dish to enhance the table.

Annie said...

An easy to make and very nutritious
meal. I like it.
Have a nice day

Sushma Mallya said...

Wow thats a very beautiful pasta..loved it mary..

Katerina said...

Great way to put vegetables into a pasta dish. I love the ingredients you are using.

Choclette said...

I bet that tastes really good, nice and fresh. I like the no cooking element and the lovely colour.

Barbara said...

A heavenly dish, Mary, and so simple to make! I have one of those peelers, I love it!
I am not a hot or spicy pasta lover, so usually leave out the red pepper flakes everyone else loves. I add it in AFTER I take my serving out! :)

Juliana said...

Mary, what a perfect dish for Monday...looks so light and yet so tasty...beautiful picture! Have a great week!

Sanyukta Gour(Bayes) said...

love the yellow and green squah going in..looks so colorful and appealing to the eyes n vody.....yumyum with my fav garlciky taste.....awesome mary

Chele said...

Great idea! Yum ;0)

Joanne said...

A dish like this was one of the few that my mother made that I would actually look forward to. Such fresh flavors definitely require some quality olive oil and parmesan!

Alessandra said...

Lovely, one of my favourite pasta types!

Jen_from_NJ said...

I need to pick up a julienne peeler and try out your recipe. I love your simple, yet beautiful Meatless Monday creation! Just perfect!

The Blonde Duck said...

I've been obsessed with pasta lately.

Cuisine de Provence said...

Just got a big tray of zucchini from my farmer neighbor and prepared a beautiful Jamie Oliver recipe tonight. Will try out your recipe tomorrow -thank you!

Cristie said...

I have a love for zucchini that isn't normal. Thanks for the tip on the julienne peeler, I'll be looking in to that right away. What a delicious dish for a summer night- love that it's on the table so quickly.

Claudia said...

I currently have enough zucchini to feed the town I live in - I must do this!

Anonymous said...

I definitely am going to make this. I find that zucchini works really well when I sneak it into other dishes - by itself I don't love it so much.

SimplySandi said...

YUMMY

Magdalena said...

Hello. I do not have a julienne peeler, as I am not a great fan of culinary gadgets and in plus, I have a small kitchen. Every time I do julienne on my own, using just a kitchen knife. To make zucchini juliennes is not so difficult, but a real nightmare is to slice carrot, or green papaya - awful job. Probably I should buy this gadget, to make my life easier...
Long noodles served with zucchini cut into long juliennes is a great idea - not only looks ideal, but it is easier to eat.
On the contrary, to eat spaghetti noodles or tagliatelle, with zucchini chopped into cubes is not comfortable at all!
Your dish looks beautiful; congratulations!

Sally said...

Looks great! Zucchini is courgette in Ireland, I usually like it roasted, definitely going to try it in pasta in future

Faith said...

I have more zucchini than I know what to do with right now and this recipe looks like a lovely way to use some of it up! What a gorgeous summer meal, Mary.

tigerfish said...

What a great idea!

Tasha said...

I've been wanting to try something like this with zucchini, and your version of it looks absolutely perfect!

The Words Crafter said...

Pasta and zucchini, together...awesome!

Suman Singh said...

looks very refreshing and delicious..perfect lunch/dinner for these hot summer days...hv all those ingredients at home..must try..

Baking is my Zen...sweet nibbles for the soul said...

What a great summer meal...

Carmen

Jean said...

What a beautiful pasta dish, and so perfectly healthy. Love the julienne peeler,too. What a nifty little thing!

Jennifer said...

Mary, coming here is always an education and I value that! Somehow reading your words comforts me. Thank you!

noble pig said...

This sounds outstanding!

Allie and Pattie said...

Zucchini is very popular in this house and we thoroughly enjoy their prolific season. What could be better than zucchini and pasta?? This looks wonderful!
xoxo Pattie

We Are Not Martha said...

Yumm this totally takes pasta to the next level and is perfect for summer! Absolutely love it!!

Sues

Namitha said...

That's a perfect summer pasta dish..so vibrant

Kristen said...

That would make such a lovely summer meal. I love fresh summer squash and pasta separately, but together..YUM!

Carolyn said...

This looks so good, Mary. If I make it with low carb pasta, I might be able to partake!

pigpigscorner said...

Looks so refreshing! I shall put that julienne peeler in my to-buy list!

FOODESSA said...

Mary...the only ingredient missing in your Aglio e Olio is the anchoivies...which I don't miss at all since I've never been a fan.
I make a similar dish to this one and add an extra grated cheese 'Romano' to it.

Hey Mary...do you have a little Italian blood swirling around in those veins?

Very appetizing dish...I'm craving those carbs right now!

Flavourful wishes,
Claudia

Unknown said...

that looks great Mary....a perfect summer pasta dish!

Have a great day!

Merisi said...

I am getting hungry, this looks so delicious! :-)

Would you believe that I owned a julienne peeler and never used it, not knowing that it was supposed to be? Only a few weeks ago did I discover that I could make zucchini julienne with it! I added the julianne to spaghetti with shrimp, the olive oil dressing flavored with thin strips of lemon peel, garlic and fresh basil.

Michele said...

I have a mandoline which I never use. I bet I can get this cut with it. Great recipe!

Unknown said...

I love zucchini because it's so versatile! Love zucchini noodles!

Karen said...

Our garden zucchini is growing by leaps and bounds. I'll be sure to try a version of this when we start harvesting!

nancy at good food matters said...

Hi Mary,
I love it when cooks and food bloggers across the country are making similar wonderful foods--we are all connected to cooking seasonally, and cooking well!

I just posted about a similar squash dish that we have been enjoying.

Justin said...

i make something just like this all the time in the summer -- so yummy.

Don't Make Me Call My Flying Monkeys! said...

I tried this and it was crazy good! Loving the blog!

marla {family fresh cooking} said...

As soon as I read this post I ran out and bought a julienne cutter. This pasta is gorgeous and simple to prepare with the right tools and freshest ingredients. Great job!

Unknown said...

Yum! This looks delicious! I love the "one year ago today" feature to keep some of your older recipes front of mind! Thanks for the comments on my blog. Glad you like it. I don't post many recipes, more link to them and share my experience cooking, so I love that you have heaps for me to try!

Kath said...

I have made a recipe that's almost identical to yours, but I used thinly sliced zucchini. It was delicious, but I love the look of your julienned zucchini. I just got an OXO julienne peeler about a week ago and I love it. I may have to try your pasta! :)

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