Zucchini and Mint Pasta Dinner
This dinner is a true weeknight wonder meal. This is ready in under 30 minutes, it’s light yet filling, and the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. This would also fill a “Meatless Monday” meal quota if you are looking for some new recipes. If you are low carb, there are a lot of lower carb pastas, or gluten free pastas that would easily substitute for a traditional white pasta.
My entire family loves this meal, and I think yours will as well.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
What You Need
- 1-pound penne or another short pasta
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), sliced thinly in rounds
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Shaved parmesan cheese
- Freshly torn mint leaves, for topping
- Freshly torn basil leaves, for topping
What You Will Do
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted (2 tablespoons) water to a rolling boil.
- Pour in the penne pasta and cook to your liking. I like my pasta to have a little bite to it, this takes about 7-10 minutes.
- Strain and place to the side.
- Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add in the zucchini and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, this will take about 5 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and olives. Cook while stirring consistently, until the garlic is fragrant, this will take about 1 minute.
- Pour the zucchini and olive mixture over pasta, add lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, and toss to coat.
- Top with freshly shaved parmesan cheese, mint, basil and salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips:
- This will stay in the refrigerator for 3 days in an airtight container.
Now the last thing you have to do, as my daughter would say is, “Eat, Eat.”
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Sautéed Spicy Cucumbers, Mushrooms, and Zucchini
