Ever get a little ambitious shopping in the vegetable aisle and find yourself with produce that has to be used up ASAP? Well, I found some zucchinis and asparagus in my fridge today that needed to be eaten, but didn’t want to go with the old sautée stand-by. Then, I remembered a pasta recipe in Tyler Florence’s new book, Inside the Test Kitchen (which I highly recommend) that was squash-centric and used it as a basis for the dish below.
It turned out delicious and the execution was simple! The blended vegetables made a creamy, flavorful sauce that tasted decadent without any added dairy. The asparagus and pine nuts added great texture and flavor as did the basil and Parmesan. I used brown rice spaghetti to make it healthier, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
Zucchini Spaghetti
Serves 2-4
4 zucchinis, cut into 1/4″ slices
1 large onion, cut into 1″ pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, steamed and cut into 1″ pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Fresh basil
Parmesan
salt and pepper
olive oil
1lb. package spaghetti
- Heat olive oil in large sautée pan over medium-high heat, add all vegetables except for asparagus. Season with salt and pepper
- Cook until vegetables are soft, but not falling apart
- Add sautéed vegetables to blender and process until it becomes a smooth sauce
- Transfer sauce into a saucepan, re-season with salt and pepper if needed and keep warm over low heat
- Cook spaghetti al dente, drain, return to pot over medium heat, add sauce and asparagus, heat through
- Serve garnished with basil, Parmesan and pine nuts
Fried Chicken Anonymous 