Spaghetti with Zucchini and Garlic
Garden Fresh
Spaghetti with Zucchini and Garlic | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
My fantasy of puttering around a garden of my own took root about ten years ago when I became a more serious home cook. Going from cooking fresh food to tending it from farm to table is a logical extension isn’t it? I’ll imagine myself popping outside to snip fresh chives or pick bright green beans mere minutes before adding them to a salad.
But I live in a city where private outdoor space of any kind is hard to come by, so for now I have to rely on the bounty of my local grocer or green market—or friends with gardens who have produce to spare.
It’s not a bad trade-off. Gardening takes a certain amount of work, after all. Snow peas won’t wait to ripen until you get back from vacation, carrots don’t care if you hate weeding, and romaine won’t water itself.
I may forgo the pleasures of growing fresh produce, but not cooking and eating it. Case in point: zucchini, which is neck and neck with tomatoes and sweet peppers as a poster veggie for home gardening.
Fresh zucchini is great roasted, grilled, sautéed, or gratinéed. You can bake it into bread, make it into pickles, slice it, dice it, or spiralize it. I frequently toss zucchini into marinara or vodka sauce, but you don’t have to dowse it in red sauce to serve it over pasta. This dish, which I made for dinner a few nights ago, puts zucchini in the spotlight and can be ready in the time it takes the noodles to boil.
This recipe for Spaghetti with Zucchini and Garlic is from “Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2” by Rachael Ray, published by Lake Isle Press. It’s quick and easy; the only prep is shredding the zucchini, which goes quickly with a box grater, and chopping the garlic. I used Parmesan cheese (grated and shaved) instead of Parmigiano Reggiano, and added a little extra oomph with a sautéed zucchini garnish, a little pasta water, a little crushed red pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
Since I don’t have a garden, I can only imagine how satisfying it is to make a fresh and delicious meal with ingredients you’ve grown yourself. But I can take the produce others grow and experience the hands-on satisfaction of cooking it. For now, that will have to do.
SPAGHETTI WITH ZUCCHINI AND GARLIC
Click here for printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
2 small to medium zucchini
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (4 times around the pan)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
Makes 4Servings
PREPARATION
Pile up 2 or 3 layers of paper towels on a work surface. Using a box grater, hold the zucchini at an angle and shred onto the towels.
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the olive oil, then the chopped garlic. When garlic speaks by sizzling in oil, add shredded zucchini and season zucchini with salt and pepper. Sauté, 7 to 10 minutes. Add hot, drained pasta to the pan, and toss with zucchini and garlic oil. Add a couple of handfuls of grated cheese, adjust seasonings and serve.
Recipe from “Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals 2” by Rachael Ray, Lake Isle Press, 2003
SPAGHETTI WITH ZUCCHINI AND GARLIC RECIPE
from “Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2” by Rachael Ray, Lake Isle Press, 2003
Rachael pulls out all the stops in this best-selling collection of recipes. You’ll find menus complete with mains, sides, and desserts, tailored for any occasion. Sections include: Make Your Own Take-Out, Monday Thru Friday Dinner Specials, Family-Style Suppers, Double-Duty Dinners, Passport Meals, Big Nights: Very Special Dinners, and Healthy Hunger Busters. Eating Healthy? Try a meat-free meal featuring Ravioli Vegetable Lasagna, Romaine Hearts with Lemon Chive Vinaigrette, and Fresh Oranges with Lime Sorbet. Have hard-to-please kids? We promise you they’ll eat Meatball and Macaroni Soup, Grilled 4-Cheese Sandwiches and Chocolate-Dipped Bananas. Over 1.5 million sold!
Also from Rachael Ray:
3 Bean Salad
Chicken and Grapes with Creamy Mustard Sauce and Couscous
Green Minestrone
Lemon Rice Pilaf
Pasta Carbonara
Pasta With Citrus Cream Sauce
Too-Easy Chicken With Leeks