This zucchini pasta is one of those fabulous easy dinner recipes you want to have on hand for busy weekdays.
It is a simple recipe with a few ingredients that pack a punch, both in terms of taste and nutrition. Olive oil, basil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. What else do you need to make dinner delicious? Not much in my opinion.
This is a wonderfully healthy recipe, made even healthier by the addition of the nuts. The nuts also add a nice crunch to the pasta meal. You can leave them out if you wish but if you give them a try I think you will be quite surprised by how wonderful the pasta, zucchini, basil and nuts work together.
If you use whole wheat pasta you will be upping the nutritional content of the overall dish. Or how about a complete change and serve the hot vegetable and garlic mixture over quinoa? The quinoa has more protein than either the white or whole wheat pasta.
In less than 30 minutes from start to finish you can have a fabulous tasting meal on the table. Just add a side salad and you’re done. Or use this zucchini and basil recipe as a side dish. Pair it with any Mediterranean flavored meat dish or with other vegetarian dishes for a full vegetarian meal.
Basil and Zucchini Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, larger or 3 small
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons basil, fresh, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 pound pasta, any shape
Instructions
- Cut zucchini into rounds or match stick pieces and set them aside.
- Put a pot of salted water on the stove to boil the pasta. When you put the pasta in the boiling water to cook you can begin to make the "sauce".
- Add the oil to the skillet and heat it to medium. Cook the zucchini pieces, garlic and basil, stirring often, for 2 to 4 minutes or until tender crisp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Serves 4
Serve over the hot, freshly cooked pasta.
Variations and Tips:
- Add 1/4 cup (50 ml) slivered almonds, or the same amount of chopped walnuts to the recipe. Toast the nuts before you start and set them aside. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the nuts and cheese before serving.
- Add some color to the recipe by adding chopped tomatoes or sliced cherry or grape tomatoes to the recipe near the end of the cooking time.
- Serve over quinoa or gluten free pasta for a gluten free meal.
If you like this zucchini pasta recipe, have a look at our other Italian recipes.
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