This zucchini pasta is certainly one of my favourite issues to make, whether or not it’s lunch, dinner or perhaps a social gathering dish. Caramelized zucchini and tender pasta come collectively below a lemon French dressing with toasty pine nuts for crunch and shaved parmesan. It’s scrumptious and could be made forward of time too!
Is it too late within the season for pasta salad?!
By no means! I believe not. This caramelized zucchini pasta salad is a good way to make use of up any leftover backyard zucchini and a option to make a delish facet dish.
That is the precise form of dish I like to make for my very own lunches. I may even serve it as a facet dish for dinner and it’s a type of salads that’s fantastic to have within the fridge.
It tastes slightly completely different and particular due to the caramelized zucchini, which all the time makes issues extra fascinating in your lunch or dinner plate.
I’m without end trying to find non-boring meals and this suits in completely. So long as dishes appear a bit thrilling, distinctive, completely different however not flat out bizarre, I name {that a} win!
This can be a nice dish to make in the summertime since it may be served crammed or at room temperature. However it’s additionally wonderful within the fall and winter – it positively has a little bit of a comfortable vibe!
Right here’s what we’re working with:
Caramelized zucchini, which cooks down in a skillet till it’s toasty and melty and scrumptious.
A lemony herb dressing, which provides some zing and zip, together with some diced shallots proper within the dressy which takes away the chew.
Toasty pine nuts, as a result of I am keen on their buttery taste and crunch.
Shaved parmesan, just because every little thing is healthier with parmesan.
The combo of skillet mushy, caramely zucchini comes from my melted zucchini baked ziti dish. It takes a while to throw collectively however is finally so tasty and such a pleasant swap from conventional baked ziti or marinara primarily based pastas.
Actually, this concept got here from the truth that I can eat that pasta dish straight from the fridge, chilly. Nevertheless, it does have some melted cheese which makes issues much less fulfilling when chilled.
Therefore, a real caramely zucchini pasta salad was born that DOES style nice chilly.
I name this a “salad” if merely for the dearth of melted cheese, as a result of every little thing tosses collectively so effectively and stays good and salad-y within the fridge. The noodles will take in a few of that lemon dressing and turn out to be much more flavorful too!
For this dish, I like to make use of a noodle that may disguise a few of that cheese and the pine nuts inside! These little shellbows/macaroni noodles are good, however any quick reduce of pasta will work. Even a traditional elbow macaroni.
Sure, yum!
Caramelized Zucchini Pasta Salad
Caramelized Zucchini Pasta Salad
This zucchini pasta is certainly one of my favourite issues to make, whether or not it is lunch, dinner or perhaps a social gathering dish. Caramelized zucchini and tender pasta come collectively below a lemon French dressing with toasty pine nuts for crunch and shaved parmesan. It is scrumptious and could be made forward of time too!
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Warmth the olive oil in a big skillet over medium-low warmth. Add the zucchini, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Cook dinner, stirring usually, till the zucchini prepare dinner down and kind of soften into the pan, about 20 to half-hour. Stir within the purple pepper flakes. The zucchini needs to be mushy and barely golden in shade.
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Whereas the zucchini is cooking, deliver a pot of salted water to a boil and prepare dinner the pasta in line with the instructions. You may as well make the lemon dressing presently too.
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To toast the pine nuts, place them in a skillet over medium-low warmth. Cook dinner, shaking and stirring the entire time, till golden and aromatic. This may take round 6 to eight minutes!
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To assemble the dish, toss the zucchini and the pasta collectively. Add a number of the dressing (about half) and toss effectively till totally blended. Stir within the pine nuts and shaved parmesan. Style and season extra if wanted or add extra dressing.
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Serve! This stays nice within the fridge for 2 or three days.
lemon French dressing
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Whisk collectively the lemon juice, vinegar, honey, dijon, garlic, basil, shallots and an enormous pinch of salt and pepper. Stream within the olive oil whereas whisking till the dressing is emulsified. This stays nice within the fridge for a couple of days and you may make it forward of time!
Consuming this at the moment for certain.
