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Blogs / yum! / Summer 2010 / Garden Pasta

yum!

A blog about food

Garden Pasta

So, not to toot my own horn, but I will admit that my green thumb amazes me every time I walk into my house. I have something absurd like 43 house plants, nine of those being orchids that I re-grow. So yes...toot, toot.
 

Then there is outside. A WHOLE different story. I have sufficiently killed every single type of plant ever. Even those that are zeroscape. This year, all my herbs are done. I feel like buying more would doom them to death and push me a bit too close to being the Grim Reaper. I have one lone tomato plant that has existed while my green thumb is slowly recovering from its black death of the past. In the past three-plus years I have been acclimating to this high-desert climate (I grew up in the humid South). I watched my pretty herbs wither away. Slowly and surely I am trying. Right now I have some small tomatoes that will hopefully get crazy big enough to enjoy—wish me luck! I have a mentor or two and am lucky enough to have friends that share their bounties. There are amazing gardens out there, and if you are lucky enough to have the fruitful love, this is a great recipe that you can alter to add what is currently in season.
 

Garden Pasta

Enjoy. Enjoy. Thank you so much for the veggies Mrs. Ann! This makes 2-4 depending on if it is a side or a noodle bowl dinner.

• 12 ounces (3/4 of the box) linguine

• 2 tablespoon olive oil (I add fresh spices to my olive oil and have it sitting on the counter)

• 1/2 pound zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons

• 1/2 pound summer squash, sliced into thin half-moons

• one small onion, chopped

• one fresh pepper (I used poblano, but jalepenos are yummy as well), chopped

• kosher salt and pepper (or a cajun spice)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

• 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

  
   

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veggies, season to your liking, and cook. Stir until the zucchini is tender and any liquid has evaporated, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Set aside one ounce of blue cheese and add cheese to the pasta. Add the reserved pasta water, salt and pepper. Stir until creamy. Serve the pasta topped with the zucchini, lemon zest, and the remaining cheese. I actually made fresh peas for a side and ended up adding them to my meal.yum!