Expectations:
When my husband brought home fresh pasta, ?he brought home a lot of it…like three days worth of pasta. He knows I prefer to make my own sauces and with a little imagination, just about anything can become a ‘sauce’ for pasta. I know, I know… pasta purists are cringing right now, as this is not even close to traditional sauce. However, it’s delicious and lightening fast for a weeknight!
Time:?Even with the chopping this should take less than 15 minutes, all-in.
Serves: 2 adults. This can easily be doubled if you have more sauce-eaters in your home.
Kid modifications: ?My daughter loves zucchini however, both kids prefer fresh vegetables at this stage to a ‘sauce’ so I served them both veggies ‘on the side.’
Ingredients You?ll Need:
- One quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil.
- 2 cups of zucchini chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 1 large zucchini)
- 1 cup of fresh baby spinach.
- 2 or 3 fresh garlic cloves, diced or sliced thinly.
- 2 tablespoons of fresh basil (cut into thin slices and then chopped)
- About 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt (or to taste)
- Optional:? Freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. (or to taste)
- Optional: ?For a ‘saucier sauce’ add about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the pasta after it’s finished.
Steps To Put This On Your Table:
- Warm the extra virgin olive oil in a, saucepan at least one or two inches deep over low to medium heat.
- Add the zucchini and garlic and increase heat to medium heat, stirring constantly, until the garlic becomes fragrant and the zucchini softens and changes to a slightly darker green. Keep the garlic moving so it does not take on too much color. The olive oil will also deepen in color, this all takes about 6 – 8 ?minutes.
- If using the pasta liquid, add it along with the basil and baby spinach, and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Add the salt and pepper if using.
- Enjoy!
