Description
A simple, delicious summer pasta with zucchini and tomatoes. Quick and easy to make, but packed with flavor from roasted, peak-season cherry tomatoes, tender zucchini, zesty lemon, and lots of garlic. Vegan and gluten-free friendly.
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, whole or halved
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly-sliced
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 lb pasta (such as bucatini, spaghetti etc.)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 cup Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
- handful of fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Roast the tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 425℉. Line a rimmed sheet pan or large baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Toss the tomatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Then arrange in an even layer on the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and are just beginning to shrivel.
- Remove from the oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and set aside. If you want a bit more color and caramelization, you can pop the broiler on for a minute or two (watch it carefully!)
- Make the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then add the pasta and cook al dente, according to package directions.
- Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts and begins to shimmer, add the garlic and shallot and cook for 2-3 mins, stirring often, until just golden.
- Add the sliced zucchini to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and sauté, until the zucchini begin to soften and caramelize, 3-4 mins.
- Add the roasted cherry tomatoes (along with their juices) along with the lemon juice, and stir to combine.
- Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables. Top with the Pecorino, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with more cheese and a sprinkling of chopped fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!!
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh basil, chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley is a great substitute. Fresh thyme and oregano would also be nice.
- Make it gluten-free: simply substitute your favorite gluten-free pasta and cook as directed.
- Look for slender, medium sized zucchini, which I find have a more tender texture and better flavor. You can keep the zucchini slices whole (as in the photos), or cut in half again for smaller half-moon shaped bites.
- If you aren’t excited about having your oven on in the middle of Summer, you can also cook the cherry tomatoes in the pan until they begin to burst. The tradeoff is a bit of caramelization, but peak-season tomatoes are still delicious nonetheless.