Pasta con Zucchini

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by Aug 14th, 2010 // Dinner, Healthy, Recipes

Pasta con Zucchini

My parents are still visiting and they are helping us eat our way through my friend Jaime’s Garden Bounty. Since my dad was here to snap some pix, you are getting a rare glimpse of me actually cooking with my kid!

Here we are grating. It’s a lot less nerve wracking when we are doing it together.

These are cubes of basil and garlic that are available in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s. I like them because they’re convenient, my kid likes them because they are fun to pop out.

While we were prepping the food, my kid kept putting his new hat on the baby (already 4 mos old!) and laughing like a maniac. The baby didn’t seem to mind too much.

Believe it or not, this is not the last of the zucchini! Luckily, the repeated use of this abundant garden veggie is helping my kid get acclimated to it. He only ate one of our Zucchini Fritters, but he ate an entire bowl of this! Now for the recipe…

Pasta con Zucchini Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
1 extra large zucchini or 2 medium (grated)
3 cloves garlic
3 teaspoons chopped basil
zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound multi grain or whole wheat angel hair pasta
red pepper flakes for sprinkling
salt & fresh ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the garlic, lemon zest and basil. Cook for about 3 minutes. Put your grated zucchini in a colander and squeeze out some of the moisture then add it to the skillet. Turn heat down to medium low and continue to saute the veggies. When the water is boiling, cook the pasta for exactly 6 minutes. Do not drain. Instead, use tongs to transfer cooked pasta into the skillet with the zucchini. When you transfer the pasta, some of the water will transfer with the pasta. You want this to happen! Use the tongs to toss the pasta with the zucchini and cook for another few minutes until it is all combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Feeds 6.

Pasta con Zucchini

pasta con zucchini

14 Comments on “Pasta con Zucchini”

  1. 1.) Macki
    August 14th, 2010

    Holy cuteness! What a beautiful family!

  2. 2.) jacquelinelegan
    August 16th, 2010

    I just had to say those are the cutest photos I have ever seen!!! and the meal looks delicious to boot!

  3. 3.) pinellas
    August 16th, 2010

    Yum! Looks delish & fun = )

  4. 4.) Dana
    August 16th, 2010

    Your family is beautiful! And so is that pasta – YUM!

  5. 5.) Leslie
    August 16th, 2010

    so cute! glad we got to see almost ALL of the family on the blog!

  6. 6.) Kali
    August 16th, 2010

    My son, Jackson age 5, and I made this and couldn't eat enough of it!! We added steamed chicken and a little bit of mozzarella cheese.

  7. 7.) CookingWithMyKid
    August 16th, 2010

    So glad you liked it. Sometimes I add Parmesan. Mmmm!

  8. 8.) Jen
    August 18th, 2010

    Just wanted to let you know that we tried this recipe last night and my kids loved it! They couldn't get enough and requested leftovers for breakfast. Did a brief write-up on my blog here: http://dinoiafamily.typepad.com/the_dinoia_family

    Thanks so much for the idea!

  9. 9.) Geni
    August 20th, 2010

    Love your blog. Beautiful shots of the beautiful kids! :) …and the pasta looks equally yummy.

  10. 10.) CookingWithMyKid
    August 21st, 2010

    thanks for adding the badge to your blog! i hope your husband gets back soon so he can try all the great stuff you are cooking up!

  11. 11.) CookingWithMyKid
    August 21st, 2010

    what a cute family you have! thanks for the blog love.

  12. 12.) Phyllis
    August 22nd, 2010

    We tried this recipe tonight and LOVED it! Yum!

  13. 13.) Dinetonite
    November 24th, 2010

    Sounds great, thanks for sharing. Have you ever tried adding fresh lovage to the soup right at the end of cooking? I discovered this wonderful herb last summer

  14. [...] also really quick to make. For tonight’s Swell Supper we’re cooking Easy Lemon Caper Chicken, Pasta Con Zucchini, Caprese Stackers, and Banana Chocolate Pudding Torte for [...]

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