Melted Zucchini Pasta

OK. Last zucchini post of the year, I promise. This recipe is great for a couple reasons: Number one, it’s easy; and number two, it’s a new take on zucchini that’s perfect for when your tolerance is growing thin (like at the end of the summer). Simmering the diced zucchini over medium heat for half an hour lets it fall apart into an earthy, nutty paste that you’ll mix with some starchy pasta cooking water to form a simple yet satisfying sauce. It’s great for the transitional weather between summer and fall.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. pasta, especially something that grips sauce well
• 2 large zucchini, diced very small
• olive oil for the pan
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly shaved parmesan
• optional: cream cheese to thicken the sauce (or omit for dairy-free)

I tried Giada’s Fusilli Col Buco, which is a corkscrew shaped pasta that’s twice as long as spaghetti (doubled over in the package). “Col buco” means “with a hole,” and it refers to the way these coils look as if you could stick a straw right through the “hole” in the spirals. I really liked this product.

Directions

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, toss the zucchini and olive oil and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown and fall apart (20-30 minutes, depending on how small you diced the zucchini).

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, or just underdone.

Add at least one cup of the starchy pasta water to the zucchini when it’s getting near done; let come to a boil. Stir and add more water as necessary to create a creamy sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the zucchini mixture with a healthy dose of salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low until combined.

If you’re using the cream cheese, stir in now while it’s still warm. Otherwise, top with a liberal dose of freshly shaved parmesan cheese and serve warm.

This recipe came my way from Real Life Delicious. Enjoy!