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| Spicy Pasta with Zucchini and Leeks |
I’m sure many of you, like me, have a handful of grocery
staples. You buy whatever you need for your meal plan or maybe grab a few impulse
purchases each week, but more often than not you have your basics that are
always in your cart. For us this includes Greek yogurt, kale, bananas, and
zucchini. Okay, and chocolate chips.
I like always having zucchini on hand because it’s easy to
slice and eat with hummus, we absolutely love zucchini bread (with chocolate chips of course), and it’s a versatile vegetable
that can be added to just about any meal. Take this pasta, for instance. Pasta
often gets a bad reputation, especially in today’s age of “fear the carb” and
“avoid gluten like the plague”, but this dish is fairly healthy and not oozing
with cream or cheese. It only takes a few basic ingredients that you likely
have on hand (especially if zucchini is one of your staples!) and you aren’t going
to have to slave away in the kitchen for hours to get dinner on the table!
Two Years Ago: Maple Whiskey Ice Cream with Candied Bacon
Three Years Ago: Blueberry Flan and Individual Peach Cobblers
Four Years Ago: Caprese Tart with Basil-Garlic Crust and Lemon Tart
Five Years Ago: Blue Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers and Chocolate Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
Spicy Pasta with Zucchini and Leeks
Ingredients:
-1/2 lb rotini
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped
-3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-2 large zucchini, grated
-1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, first reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and the red pepper flakes, seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add pasta to the skillet along with the reserved pasta water. Cook for about 2 minutes, until sauce coats the pasta. Stir in the cheese and serve immediately.
