Bow Tie Pasta with Zucchini Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat bow tie pasta
• 1 small clove garlic
• 2 medium zucchini (10 ounces by weight, about 2/3 of a pound)
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch ground black pepper

Materials

• Box grater
• Colander
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Large bowl
• Large pot
• Large skillet
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing spoon

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Prepare zucchini sauce while pasta is cooks.
2. Peel and mince garlic.
3. Rinse and grate zucchini. Measure 2 cups grated zucchini.
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add zucchini and minced garlic. Cook until mixture softens and zucchini yields some liquid, about 5 minutes.
5. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid.
6. Add 1-2 teaspoons cooking liquid to zucchini mixture. Add drained pasta. Stir, coating pasta evenly with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed.
7. Transfer pasta to large bowl for serving. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Chef’s Notes

• Use yellow squash in place of the zucchini. Or, use a mix of both.
• For faster cooking, grate zucchini in advance. Refrigerate until you are ready to cook.
• Make a simple pasta salad. Mix raw grated zucchini with cooked and cooled pasta, canola oil, mint, basil, or other herbs.
• Add more veggies in step 4 if you like. Try diced carrots or tomatoes, peas, or corn.
• Try using different pasta shapes.