Email to Filus1217      

Spaghetti Pesto Sauce & Zucchini

Source of Recipe

.
Spaghetti Pesto Sauce & Zucchini

heart.org/simplecooking
© 2015 American Heart Association.
Exchanges
Serves 6

In this Simple Cooking with Heart recipe, zucchini not only tops the Italian pasta dish—it is also added into the pesto!.

It's a great way to take advantage of the abundance of zucchini we get in the summer months and certainly a delicious way to get some vegetables into your day.

Ingredients:
• 4 medium zucchini, chopped
• 12 oz. packaged, whole-wheat spaghetti (1 package)
• 1 bunch fresh basil (large, about 2 cups), washed
• 1 clove garlic, minced OR 1 tsp. minced garlic, from jar
• 2 Tbsp. walnuts or almonds, unsalted
• 2 Tbsp. low-sodium chicken broth OR 2 Tbsp. water
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Trim the ends off the zucchini and discard the ends. Cut each zucchini into halves, thinly slicing each half for about 8 cups total chopped zucchini.

2. Coat a large nonstick pan with cooking spray. Add zucchini to the pan over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently with a spoon or spatula, sauté zucchini until softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove zucchini from heat.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti into the boiling water, cooking according to package directions (without adding salt). When pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander, making sure to save ¼ cup pasta water.

4. Meanwhile, make the pesto sauce. Into the bowl of a food processor, add 2 cups cooked zucchini along with basil leaves, garlic, nuts, chicken broth, oil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Process the mixture until blended, about 1 minute, adding another 1 to 2 tablespoons of chicken broth if needed for a thinner consistency.

5. In a large bowl, mix together drained spaghetti and pesto sauce, along with 1 to 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water for moisture (or more, if needed). Top with the rest of the cooked zucchini and serve.


Additional Tips:
Cooking Tip: Pesto doesn’t need to be made with just basil leaves—other greens or herbs like spinach, arugula, or mint can be subbed for the same amount of basil.

Tip: Saving a bit of the pasta water is a healthy way to thicken any type of sauce since the water is filled with starch from the pasta cooking.

Per serving: Calories 272; Total Fat 6.2 g (Saturated Fat 1.0 g, Trans Fat 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3.4 g); Cholesterol 1 mg; Sodium 132 mg; Carbohydrates 48 g; Fiber 9 g; Sugars 5 g; Protein 11 g ++++ Dietary Exchanges 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 meat