Pasta With Zucchini and Goat Cheese

Knowing that one can never have too many zucchini recipes, I wrote this down on a piece of scrap paper in the waiting room at a doctor's office. It's super tasty and simple, perfect for a weeknight. The goat cheese makes a creamy sauce for the linguine, and complements the flavor of the sauteed squash nicely. In addition to the lemon zest, I recommend adding some thinly sliced fresh basil when serving. From Real Simple (June 08).

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 12  ounces linguine
• 1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  lb zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 5  ounces  goat cheese, crumbled
• 2  teaspoons lemon zest
•  salt & pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1 C cooking water, drain and return to pot.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini is tender and liquid is evaporated (about 5 min.).
3. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Add all but 2 T of the goat cheese to the pasta. Add reserved pasta water, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir until creamy.
5. Serve pasta topped with zucchini, lemon zest, and remaining goat cheese.