Let's connect!
Molly B Duncan Health Coach
  • Home
  • About
  • Health Coaching
    • FAQ's
    • Testimonials
  • Classes
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • FAVORITES

Last of the Season Zucchini Pesto Pasta

8/25/2021

4 Comments

 
Picture

Whenever I talk to friends who garden, every single one of them, no matter where they live, mentions how plentiful zucchini are.  Some of them say they have such a bumper crop that they resort to creative tactics for unloading it on unsuspecting neighbors.  This includes loading up a bag with zucchini and leaving it hung on the front door or leaving a bag on the porch.  Should you be the lucky recipient of such vegetable abundance, fret not, because today I have a recipe that will have you rejoicing at your good fortune instead of shaking your fist saying, "Not more zucchini!"

Now this recipe is not only good if you have zucchini lying around, it's also good for hot summer days because it doesn't require you to turn on the oven.  I am grateful for this because I live in North Carolina, where, as I have mentioned before, some residents refer to the worst of summer as "Hell's Front Porch," or what I call "Satan's Sauna."

You can put as much or as little effort into this dish as you desire.  And if you are hot, or worse, hot and tired, you probably don't have a lot of energy to invest in making dinner.  You can make your own pesto or you can buy some at the store.  You can grill the zucchini*, or pan sauté it, or, depending on how much you make, roast it in a toaster oven.  You can put a cheese grater and a hunk of cheese on the table or you can buy pre-grated cheese.  I won't judge.  The important things to remember are that the recipe doesn't use the oven, it comes together quickly, it uses a lot of zucchini (if you need it to), and IT'S DELICIOUS!  Like so delicious that I don't want to share the leftovers with my husband.   So go make this dish, and oh, things come together very quickly at the end!

Zucchini Pesto Pasta
Serves 4-6

​
First, make the Pesto (or buy a jar at the store):
4 ounces fresh basil, de-stemmed, washed and dried.
⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
⅓ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, loosely packed in the measuring cup
½ small lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
½ teaspoon of kosher or sea salt
⅓ cup of good quality extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the basil and pine nuts 10 times.  Add the cheese, salt, pepper, lemon and pulse to combine.  Turn on the food processor and add the olive oil slowly through the feed tube.  Taste.  If it tastes a little flat, add another squeeze of lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Process once more.

Storage: In a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for two months.  

Second, make the pasta and zucchini.
Water and salt for the pasta
10-12 ounces of penne pasta (or whatever pasta shape you prefer) 
4 small to medium zucchini, washed, ends trimmed, cut into large 1-inch pieces
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Fill a large pot 3/4 full of water (I use a 5-quart dutch oven), add 2 teaspoons of salt, and bring to a rolling boil.   

While the water is heating up, heat a skillet over medium low.  Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the zucchini, and cook until nearly tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir infrequently so that the zucchini has a chance to become light golden brown on the outside.  Cooking the zucchini will take a good 10-15 minutes.  Once the zucchini are done cooking, you may have a couple minutes left on the pasta, so reduce the heat under the zucchini to low until ready to put it in the final pasta dish.  

Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's directions.  And here's where I tell you that I always cook it 30 seconds less than that for perfectly al dente pasta.  VERY IMPORTANT: 1 to 2 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking, reserve some pasta water by ladling a cup or two of pasta water into a heat proof measuring cup with a pour spout.  


While the pasta and the zucchini are cooking, prepare for everything that happens right at the end.  Put a colander in the sink.  Have olive oil nearby.  Near the end of cooking the pasta reserve some of the cooking water.

Once the pasta has reached desired doneness, it's go time!  Drain the pasta into the colander.  Pour a tablespoon or two of the good olive oil back into the pot and swirl the pot to cover the bottom.  Then add the pasta, and stir to coat it with olive oil.  Put the pot back on the stove over very low heat.  We're done cooking the pasta so the heat is just to keep it warm.  Next add the pesto and stir so that all the pasta is covered. 

Now, the magic happens.  Add a little bit of the pasta water, no more than 1/4 cup, to the pot, and stir to create a creamy pesto sauce.  If it's too thick, add a little more pasta water, stir, and determine if you need more.  When the sauce is coating each piece of pasta, and it looks good to you, stop adding water.  Add the zucchini and stir to combine.  Let's eat.

I recommend serving this in shallow bowls and passing cheese at the table.

* If you choose to grill the zucchini, follow the instructions in this recipe, but skip the tahini sauce.  When the zucchini is done, cut it into small bite-size pieces, and add it to the pasta after the pasta has been coated with the pesto sauce.  
​

4 Comments

    Author

    Hi friends!  I am Molly.  Welcome to my blog where I share my creations and adventures to help you create a life you love.  I am passionate about food, travel, and health! Thanks for stopping by and looking around.  All photos are taken by me unless otherwise attributed.  I develop and write all my recipes with attribution for inspiration and ideas where applicable.  All of my recipes are gluten free.  

    Archives

    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Categories

    All
    Breakfast
    Dessert
    Dinner
    Exercise & Fitness
    Gluten Free
    Healthy Living
    Healthy Snacks
    Healthy Travel
    Quick
    Recipes
    Side Dishes
    Skin Care
    Sugar Addiction
    Vegan
    Web Wellness Wednesdays
    Women's Health

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe to our mailing list

    * indicates required
    Your data is used in line with our privacy policy.
Health Coaching
Classes
Contact
FAQ
Terms and Conditions
​Disclaimer
Privacy Policy
© COPYRIGHT Molly B Duncan.
​ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Brett Jordan, roseannadana