Summertime Pasta

I got the original recipe for this dish from Pioneer Woman.  She named her version Farfalle with Zucchini but I changed the name because I thought the farfelle (bowties) was too substantial (heavy) for this dish.  I made it the first time just like she said, but tonight I substituted angel hair for the farfalle and we liked it much better.


Summertime Pasta
1 med onion, diced
4-5 regular sized zucchini, crookneck or other summer squash
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
3 cloves garlic, minced or diced
olive oil
10-oz angel hair pasta
2/3 C chicken broth (or white wine)
1 Tbsp Arrowroot (for thickening)
1/2 - 3/4 C cream
fresh herbs - basil, lemon thyme, chives (whatever you've got)
Parmesan cheese

Set a pan of water to boil for the pasta.  Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.  I had a banana pepper from the garden so I diced that up, too.  It's very mild and tastes just like a yellow sweet pepper.  I quarter-cut yellow crookneck for the sauce but both crookneck and zucchini together would add more color.

When the water boils cook pasta  for 4-5 minutes.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil over med high heat.  Saute the onions and garlic, until onions are
translucent; add squash (and diced pepper).  When the squash is almost cooked but still has a slight crunch, turn the heat to medium and toss in the tomatoes.  Cook for a minute or two.  Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Stir in the Arrowroot, immediately the sauce will start to thicken.    Remove from heat and pour in the cream.  Stir gently.

To serve, pour the drained pasta into a serving bowl.  Add lots of fresh herbs - I forgot the herbs tonight and that makes me sad because they add so much yumminess to the dish.  I have oregano, basil and rosemary growing in the garden, too.  Pour the sauce over the top.  Add Parmesan cheese and gently stir.

Gingered Squash Saute

Gingered Squash Saute
from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty Annual Recipes 2003

Serves: 9

1 pound yellow summer squash, sliced

1/2 pound small zucchini, sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium green pepper, julienned

4 teaspoons butter

3 mediums tomatoes, quartered

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

In a skillet saute squash, zucchini, onion and green pepper in butter for 1 min. Cover and cook over medium heat for until tender. Add tomatoes, salt and ginger. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes.

*Note - My family loves squash. This was a particularly delicious way to satisfy our squash craving. I was hesitant about the onion and the tomatoes, but shouldn't have been. The onion added wonderful flavor and the store-bought tomatoes tasted fresh. Did that few minutes of cooking make them zing like a home-grown wonder? I did leave out the green pepper, only because the part of one I had in the fridge was no longer useable.