Creamy Vegetable Pasta Sauce Recipe Recipe For Zucchini

CREAMY PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
• Whisk milk and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir minced garlic in hot butter until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Whisk in milk mixture; season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer, add Parmesan cheese, and whisk until cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in parsley and remove from heat.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sliced garlic in hot oil until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase heat to high and stir zucchini, pinch of salt, and pinch of black pepper into skillet; cook and stir until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir sauce and Cheddar cheese into zucchini mixture; cook and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes more. Toss zucchini sauce and linguine together in a large bowl and garnish with basil.

CREAMY VEGETABLE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions, garlic and thyme; cook 3 to 5 min. or until softened. Add water and zucchini; cook 5 to 7 min. or until zucchini is tender. Add cream cheese and broth; stir 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted.
• Drain spaghetti. Add to vegetable mixture; toss to coat. Serve topped with Parmesan.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND HERB PUREE (PASTA CON CREMA DI ZUCCHINI)

Steps:

• In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the zucchini, parsley, and the crumbled bouillon cube.
• Cook, uncovered, over low heat for about 20 minutes, until the zucchini are fully cooked and soft. If the zucchini seem dry, add a small amount of water to continue cooking until soft. It should look like a mush of zucchini. Taste for salt. If needed add salt to taste. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• When the zucchini are cooked, place the mixture in a blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce.
• Bring the water for the pasta to a boil, add salt to taste, and cook the pasta until al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the sauce in a large sauté pan, and add the grated cheese. Mix well.
• When the pasta is ready, drain, and add to the sauce, raising the heat and stirring until the pasta is well coated. Sprinkle with more cheese and serve at once.
• Note: This sauce freezes well.

FARFALLE PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND LEMON-CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain the farfalle well in a colander set in the sink.
• While the farfalle are boiling, mix together the ricotta, mascarpone, and Parmesan cheeses in a large serving bowl, and stir in the lemon peel and basil until the mixture is well combined.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the zucchini and garlic until the zucchini are tender but still bright in color, about 8 minutes. Stir about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water into the cheese mixture and mix until smooth; add the hot drained pasta and cooked zucchini, and lightly toss with the sauce. Season with the salt and pepper. If mixture is too thick, add a little more pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is the desired thickness.