Over the past weekend, we picked up some fresh pasta from Roan Mills, one of our favorite local flour vendors.  I had a vision of turning it into a summer-time pasta, filled with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and basil.  So that’s what I did!

This pasta is super simple to make and comes together in about a half hour.  Loaded with fresh vegetables and seasonal flavors, this recipe is sure to make a comeback on my table over the course of the summer.  Another great use for all of those summer zucchinis and tomatoes, so be sure to give it a try!

Recipe down below, photo up top!

Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of dry or fresh pasta
• 2 medium zucchinis, quartered lengthwise and cut into slices
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil on the stove.  Add a generous amount of salt to season the water.
2. In a separate pan, add the olive oil and garlic and cook over medium high heat until garlic becomes fragrant.  Add the zucchini to the pan and stir to combine.  Cook the zucchini until tender, about 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
3. Add the pasta to the large pot of boiling water.  Cook until al-dente or according to packaging instructions.
4. While the pasta is cooking, add the cherry tomatoes to the pan of zucchini, and stir to combine.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 5-10 minutes.
5. When the pasta is ready, use tongs or a large spoon to transfer the pasta into the pan with the tomatoes and zucchini, allowing some of the pasta water to come along with the pasta.  Add the parmesan cheese to the pan and stir vigorously to combine everything together.  The cheese should make a nice sauce with the pasta water that coats the pasta and veggies together.
6. Immediately before serving, add the basil to the pan and stir to combine.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy!