Pasta With Summer Squash and Zucchini
"Another simple but tasty recipe from Leanne Ely's Menu Mailers (savingdinner.com). I love a quick, healthy meal especially when it gets me compliments from my hubby.
I used wholemeal spirals instead of the linguine the original called for, and simplified the instructions to avoid dirtying an extra pan unnecessarily."
- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, your favourite
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3⁄4 teaspoon basil
- 1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 12 ounces whole wheat pasta, cooked and drained
directions
- In a large skillet, saute zucchini, yellow squash, onion and garlic in olive oil until vegetables are almost tender. Add basil and spaghetti sauce and stir until warmed through.
- Spoon sauce over hot linguini. Toss to coat well. Top with cheeses.
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Reviews
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Tasty and fairly quick using the ingredients I had! I used one onion (2 seemed like a lot, but it shrinks so it probably would have been fine) and even added some diced green bell peppers. I didn't have fresh basil, so I used dried herb mix. I took to a picnic so just ended up mixing pasta, sauces, and cheeses altogether. Cheese makes it creamier and gives it more taste, but this recipe would taste good without cheese as well. -
Hey NoBS, I used a jar of homemade sauce, oh-and yes, I used whole wheat pasta and the rest of the items as written. YUM! -
Fresh ingredients and whole wheat pasta, with jarred spaghetti sauce? Are you kidding? Why ruin them when the only substitute necessary would be fresh tomatoes for the jar. If the tang is necessary, add a can of tomato sauce. If you want quick, use the jar of sauce and boil some water for the pasta. -
thanks for the recipe! it was a good jumping off point as i was looking for a pasta dish that had zucchini and was quick and easy. i only had zucchini so i left out the yellow squash, only had one onion, and only had mozz cheese. it was still great and the kids asked for more.
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Very quick and easy!! I was looking for a recipe to use up my zucchini and squash and this recipe has other ingredients I keep on hand!!!! Full of FLAVOR!! Even my boys loved it!!
Tweaks
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I almost always tweak recipes because (for us) they usually lack flavor. Although I used canned tomatoes, I'd never use a jar of spaghetti sauce when it's so easy to make on your own. All items are organic unless otherwise listed. Tweaks include: 1 lb of ground chicken 1 large zucchini, cut in inch chunks 1 medium summer squash 2 cans of 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes, no salt added 2 Tbs of tomato paste (I got a concentrated tube from Italy - yum!) 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning 1/2 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp basil 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (non-organic) (or to taste if you want to go arriabiata) 1/4 cup low sodium chicken consomme (or if I've made it, zero added salt) 1 large onion, diced 3 large garlic cloves, diced 2 Tbs EVOO I'll caramelize the onions, throw in the garlic at the last few minutes (in 1 Tbs oil). Low and slow with the heat! Then divide and conquer! 1/2 of the onion/garlic mixture will remain to cook the squash just before it gets mushy. I like those veggies with a bit of a snap. Put aside. The other 1/2 onion/garlic mixture now gets tossed in another pan with the ground chicken (seasoned with the Italian seasoning), another Tbs of EVOO, then brown. Toss in the remainder of spices, cans of tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth and simmer. Low and slow. Although you can certainly make it quicker, I like the flavors to develop, so I leave it for a 1/2 hour. During the last 10 minutes, I put it a tiny bit of a natural sweetener to amp the flavors. I've used turbinado sugar in the past (about 1/4 Tbs), these days I'm using blue agave syrup. I've also used honey - but not the light, orange blossom type, something deeper in flavors and dark in color like avocado or buckwheat. Use sparingly - you can't fix too much sweetener. Optimally, you shouldn't taste it at all, but the second day this sauce is a-ma-zing! I digressed. You've boiled the water and made your pasta in the last 10 minutes, too. I'm using chickpea (garbanzo) based pasta these days to increase the protein and decrease the wheat. Since we're a family of 2, I'll divide the pasta sauce and freeze half. If not, we're eating this for 4-5 days! We use cheese sparingly but if you're using both Parmesan and shredded Mozzarella here's a pro-tip. Hot pasta on the bottom, then mozzarella, then pour the hot spaghetti sauce and top with Parmesan. The mozzarella melts easier in the middle between the hot pasta and sauce.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I was born and raised in the USA but now live in Melbourne, Australia. I have been here since 1999. My husband is Australian. We have two daughters (born May '05 and May '07) and a yellow Labrador.
I cook mainly for my family. I do my best to feed them (and myself) plenty of whole grains and vegetables, with small amounts of lean meats and "good fats". Most of my recipes will lean in that direction, although sometimes I will post something that just tastes good!
