An Easy Meal For Your End of Summer Dinner Party
Does anyone else feel like everyone looooves to cook? Don’t get me wrong—I do enjoy cooking. Especially on Sunday nights, when there’s usually a little bit more time and energy for a couple of hours in the kitchen. But after a long day at work followed by the gym, cooking isn’t my favorite way to spend the entire evening. I need quick and easy recipes that aren’t mac and cheese (hi, 31 years old here), but are still are done before Chris goes to bed at 9:00 PM! Ya feel me? So, I thought I’d start sharing the recipes we like, when we find them!
I made this easy summer zucchini pasta a few weeks ago, and it was SO GOOD. Chris doesn’t usually like zucchini, at least on its own, but it was the main ingredient in this pasta dish, and he really liked the recipe (I think). It’s great for a quick weeknight meal, but I could totally see serving this for a casual dinner party, too. It looks so pretty, it’s loaded up with healthy veggies and it’s pretty hard to mess up. I used medium shells that we already had in the pantry, and you could actually use any short-cut pasta you want. Just add some crusty bread and sauvignon blanc! 🥖🍷🥇
Ingredients (4 servings):
1 lb. of your favorite short-cut pasta
6 c. zucchini + yellow squash
1 c. parmesan cheese + extra for serving
6 gloves of garlic
1/4 c. EVOO
1/4 c. fresh basil
salt + pepper (1/4 tsp. each)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Generously salt the water.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the zucchini + squash and sauté for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Once pasta is cooked, drain thoroughly and add back into the pot. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta and toss until coated. Add the parmesan and chopped basil and toss. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve with extra parmesan and fresh basil.
images via
How’s your week going so far? I worked from home yesterday to shuttle slash take care of Chris after he got LASIK in the morning, and I lucked out that it was the most beautiful day to sit on the porch. It’s amazing how restorative working from home can be—I put pork loin in the slow cooker for pulled pork sandwiches later, sneaked in a walk over lunch and got to enjoy the mental benefits of zen-ing out on the porch on a beautiful day. #ohm Other than work and the usual weekly stuff, we’re starting to think about landscaping for our house and trying to plan when to do it. We have a couple flower pots in the backyard from a generous neighbor, and it’s oddly fulfilling and relaxing to go outside and water them on the weekends—ridiculously excited at the prospect of adding more. 🌼🤓 Thinking hydrangeas for sure and maybe a peony or rose bush?! Have a great week!
