Pasta With a Walnut and Zucchini Sauce
"This is a very light and quick cooking sauce. This isn't a heavy, creamy, thick sauce but has lots of flavor. It cooks up in just minutes. This is perfect for any week night."
- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 12 ounces whole wheat short pasta (I like the small corkscrew, or a fussili)
- 1 lb zucchini, peel left on and thin sliced
- 1 large onion, thin sliced (I like to cut in half first and then sliced)
- 2 scallions, chopped (greens and whites)
- 3⁄4 cup chopped walnuts
- 4 tablespoons light cream
- 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- parmesan cheese (to garnish)
directions
- Pasta -- Cook the pasta according to directions. When it is done, just drain reserving 1 cup of the pasta water and return the pasta to the pot. NOTE: Whole wheat pasta does make a difference in this dish.
- Sauce -- In a large sauce pan, add the butter and saute the onions for about 5 minutes until soft but not caramelized. Then add in the zucchini and cook another few minutes. They take just minutes to cook. Then add the walnuts, cream, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Combine -- Add the pasta to the sauce along with the parmesan and some of the pasta water and toss well. Garnish with some extra parmesan if you want. ENJOY!
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
Very tasty! Made it with linguine, and the only thing I did differently to the sauce was to add the walnuts for the last minute of saut?eing the onions and zucchini. It turned out wonderfully - will be making this again! -
This is a great go to recipe for a good dinner. Made it for myself when I wanted to use up an abudance of zucchini. It definitely hit the spot and I will make it again. Yum!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
SarasotaCook
Sarasota, Florida
<p>Growing up in Michigan, I spent my summers at my cottage in the Northern part up by Traverscity. On a lake, big garden which had all the vegetables you could imagine. My mom taught school, so summers were our vacation time. Gramps and I fished all the time so fresh fish was always on the menu, perch, blue gill, walleye and small and large mouth bass. At age 5 I learned how to clean my own fish and by 10 I was making dinner, canning vegetables and fruits, making pies and fresh breads. Apples fresh picked every fall, strawberries in June and July, Cherries at the Cherry Festival in Traverscity. So fresh foods always were a big part. Mom worked as a teacher during the year so dinner was more traditional with pot roasts, meatloaf, etc, but it seemed we always had fresh fruits and vegetables as part of the meal. Mom also didn't use as many spices as I do, but times were different back then. <br /> <br />So ... My motto is ... There is NO Right and NO Wrong with cooking. So many people thing they have to follow a recipe. But NO ... a recipe is a method and directions to help and teach someone. Cooking is about personal tastes and flavors. I love garlic ... and another person may not. I like heat ... but you may not. Recipes are building blocks, NOT text ground in stone. Use them to make and build on. Even my recipes I don't follow most times --They are a base. That is what cooking is to me. A base of layer upon layer of flavors. <br /> <br />I still dislike using canned soups or packaged gravies/seasoning ... but I admit, I do use them. I have a few recipes that use them. But I try to strive to teach people to use fresh ingredients, they are first ... so much healthier for you ... and second, in the end less expensive. But we all have our moments including me. <br /> <br />So, lets see ... In the past, I have worked as a hostess, bartender, waitress, then a short order cook, salad girl in the kitchen, sort of assistant chef, head chef, co owner of a restaurant ... now a consultant to a catering company/restaurant, I cater myself and I'm a personal chef for a elderly lady. I work doing data entry during the day, and now and then try to have fun which is not very often due to my job(s). <br /> <br />I have a 21 year old who at times is going on 12, aren't they all. Was married and now single and just trying to enjoy life one day at a time. I'm writing a cookbook ... name is still in the works but it is dedicated to those people who never learned, to cook. Single Moms, Dads, or Just Busy Parents. Those individuals that think you can't make a great dinner for not a lot of money. You can entertain on a budget and I want people to know that gourmet tasting food doesn't have to be from a can of soup or a box, and healthy food doesn't come from a drive through. There are some really good meals that people can make which are healthy and will save money but taste amazing. So I guess that is my current goal. We all take short cuts and I have no problem with that - I do it too. I volunteer and make food for the homeless every couple of months, donating my time and money. I usually make soup for them and many times get donations from a local grocery stores, Sams Club, Walmart etc, with broth, and vegetables. It makes my cost very little and well worth every minute I spend. Like anyone, life is always trying to figure things out and do the best we can and have fun some how along the way.</p>
