Zucchini Parmesan Pasta

Enjoy the abundance of fresh basil and zucchini this summer in this simple pasta dish. The whole thing comes together quickly, making it the perfect weeknight meal. Grated zucchini cooks down so well in this savory, cheesy sauce; you won’t even notice there’s a vegetable in there! 

Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest blog

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pasta, any cut works

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 3-4 medium zucchini/yellow summer squash, shredded or chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (optional)

• chili flakes (optional)

• sea salt and black pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 - 1.5 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve 1 1/4 cups of the pasta cooking water. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, garlic, thyme, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook until the zucchini is golden, 5 minutes. Mix in the butter. Using the back of your spoon or a potato masher, mash down the zucchini until it becomes a chunky sauce. 

3. Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the pasta, parmesan, and toss until melted. Add more pasta water if need to thin the sauce. Remove from the heat, toss in the basil.

4. Serve topped with fresh basil and pepper. Enjoy!