Pasta with Zucchini

It is zucchini time and I know that my fellow CSAers are looking for something to do with all this zucchini. I have been searching for a good pasta with zucchini recipe forever. This weekend I was at a party and ran into my friend Eva. Eva introduced me to the world of CSAs by bringing me my first box of veggies and giving me Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I asked her if she knew of a good zucchini recipe and she said that Deborah Madison's Spaghetti with Zucchini and Basil recipe was one of her favorites.

She explained to me that you chop the zucchini, cook it for 20 minutes in a good amount of olive oil (1/3 - 1/2 cup) and chopped garlic (2 cloves), add milk, and then mix it with pasta, grated cheese, and fresh basil.

I went home, grabbed my Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, and surveyed the contents of my kitchen.

I did not have basil; so, I left that out. I had a bag of Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio shredded cheeses. This mix includes Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, and Mild Provolone cheeses. The recipe called for Parmesan and Romano; so, I thought the cheese mix I had would work well. I didn't have spaghetti; so, I used ziti.

This dish was really good and a great way to use a lot of zucchini. It does take a bit longer than other zucchini pasta recipes because you need to cook the zucchini in olive oil for 20 minutes and then in milk for 10 minutes. However, it is well worth taking the extra time to make this dish. I highly recommend it. And, I highly recommend playing with the recipe as I did based on what you have in your kitchen. If you have other fresh herbs or cheeses you can experiment. You can also try different types of pasta. I really liked ziti in this dish and I think other short pastas would be nice.

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Basil

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds small or medium zucchini

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

salt and freshly milled pepper

1/2 cup half-and-half or milk

1 pound of spaghetti

1/2 cup mixed freshly grated Parmesan and Romano

Handful basil leaves, torn into small pieces

1. Chop the zucchini into 1/2 inch chunks. Warm the olive oil and garlic in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook gently over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the squash is soft and browned in places, about 20 minutes.

2. Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.

3. Add the half-and-half or milk (I used milk) and cook for about 10 minutes more, stirring more frequently.

4. Toss the pasta with the zucchini, cheeses, and basil. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.