Zucchini "Pasta" with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Zucchini "Pasta" with Fresh Tomato Sauce

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Servings: 4

    • About This Recipe

    “Nice light luncheon or side dish or even a first course for a dinner party. from Canadian Living mag.”

    Ingredients

  • 3tablespoonsolive oil
  • 4largeripe tomatoes, peeled,seeded and chopped
  • 2sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoondried thyme
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoonsugar
  • 1/2 teaspoonsalt
  • 1/4 teaspoonpepper
  • 6smallzucchini, trimmed( about 1 1/2 lb)
  • 2clovesgarlic, smashed
  • cayenne pepper
  • 1tablespoonfreshly grated parmesan cheese

    • Directions

  • In saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.
  • Add tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper, cook, uncovered, for 7 to 10 minutes or until excess moisture has evaporated.
  • Remove bay leaf.
  • Meanwhile, slice unpeeled zucchini lengthwise into long wide strips about 1/8 inch thick.
  • (Use a veggie slicer or I find a veggie peeler is best, in long single swipes.) In a large frypan, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil over high heat.
  • Add half of the zucchini strips and half of the garlic, sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne, cook, stirring almost constantly for about 3 minutes or until zucchini is tender and golden, being careful not to break it.
  • Remove to paper towel lined baking sheet and keep warm in low oven.
  • Repeat with remaining oil, zucchini, garlic and cayenne.
  • Arrange zucchini mixture on warmed serving platter.
  • Pour sauce over and sprinkle with parmesan.
  • Serve immediately.

    • Reviews

  • “Fantastic taste and presentation.”

  • “First rate stuff, and good for you as well!I used fresh parsley and basil instead of listed herbs, and added some toasted pine nuts.Nice and light for summer.Will definately keep this recipe on hand for those mysterious bags of zucchini that show up on my doorstep in August…”

  • “Thank-you!I had seen this in Canadian Living and didn’t save it (and also couldn’t remember where I had seen it! :)Anyway, its great. The zuki done this way is so good and so low fat.”

  • “Wow–a fantastic recipe! My garden produced an abundance of zucchini, and I am much more excited about it now. (I have tired of zucchini breads and cakes… you can only justify their vegetable content so far! 🙂 Flavorful, delicious, and I will make it every summer.”

  • “I just love the idea of using the zucchini instead of pasta!This was great!!Nice and easy to put together too.While the sauce simmered I cooked the zucchini.I did add some crushed red pepper to the sauce, because I like it spicy.Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe, Derf!”

  • “Well, I did overcook the zucchinni, but I stillwouldn’t rave about the sauce.Might make it again.Nice simple veggie side…served with orzo”

  • “This was good but WAY too much work for me.”

  • “Excellent recipe!I probably used a bit too much cayenne as my mouth is still on fire.I threw in some stuffed pasta with it and omitted the bay leaf because I didn’t have one.Something I will make again!”

  • “This was a great recipe only i think i added too much cayenne but i loved it anyway.i will deff make it again.I think this would also be good with a little bit of white sauce or something pre made. thanks!”

  • “Lovely! This is a perfect recipe to make in the summer with garden produce and the simple, fresh flavours are wonderful. Very easy to make. I made some minor changes. I halved the recipe for 2, reduced the amount of oil and used splenda instead of sugar. I used italian marrow squash from my garden which has a delicate pale green colour and I thought the dish made a pretty presentation. Thanks for posting this, Derf :)”

  • “Derf, I was meaning to post this recipe a while back but never got around to it.I love it…with a couple of changes of course! I cook some onions in the oil before adding the tomatoes, I add tomato paste to the recipe (to thicken the sauce), I substitute our fresh basil for the thyme (since I don’t care for the flavor of thyme) and I used my mandolin to julienne the zucchini (looks like spagetti that way).I make this about once a week during zucchini season!M&Mers”

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