Excerpted from Leanne Brown’s IACP Cookbook Award-winning Good and Cheap.
Zucchini and summer squash are so abundant in the summer months. This simple pasta is like a lighter, brighter fettuccine alfredo. It also comes together in no time—the veggies will be ready by the time your pasta is cooked. You’ll love it, I promise.
Creamy Zucchini Fettuccine
SERVES 3, OR 2 VERY HUNGRY PEOPLE
Ingredients
- salt, to taste
- 8 ounces fettuccine
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon chile flakes
- 2 small zucchini, finely diced
- zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
- pepper, to taste
- sprinkling of finely chopped fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water liberally. This is how pasta gets its flavor, so don’t be shy! Most of the salt won’t end up in the pasta.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. I drain the pasta just before it’s finished so it doesn’t get mushy when I add it to the vegetable pan and it gets cooked a little more.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and chile flakes. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds to a minute, then add the zucchini. Stir the vegetables to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the water has cooked off and the veggies are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Young summer zucchini doesn’t need much cooking. Add the lemon zest. Stir!
- Drain the fettuccine and add it to the pan along with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the cream, and most of the cheese. Toss the fettuccine around the pan, and add salt and lots of freshly ground pepper to taste. Top with a bit more cheese and a sprinkling of basil, if using, and serve immediately.
About the Book:
By showing that kitchen skill, and not budget, is the key to great food, Good and Cheap will help you eat well—really well—on the strictest of budgets.
Created for people who have to watch every dollar—but particularly those living on the U.S. food stamp allotment of $4.00 a day—Good and Cheap is a cookbook filled with delicious, healthful recipes backed by ideas that will make everyone who uses it a better cook. From Spicy Pulled Pork to Barley Risotto with Peas, and from Chorizo and White Bean Ragù to Vegetable Jambalaya, the more than 100 recipes maximize every ingredient and teach economical cooking methods. There are recipes for breakfasts, soups and salads, lunches, snacks, big batch meals—and even desserts, like crispy, gooey Caramelized Bananas. Plus there are tips on shopping smartly and the minimal equipment needed to cook successfully.
And when you buy one, we give one! With every copy of Good and Cheap purchased, the publisher will donate a free copy to a person or family in need. Donated books will be distributed through food charities, nonprofits, and other organizations. You can feel proud that your purchase of this book supports the people who need it most, giving them the tools to make healthy and delicious food.
An IACP Cookbook Awards Winner.
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