If you're looking for a fast and simple weeknight dinner you can throw together in the time it takes to bring water to boil and cook pasta, look no further. This 5 Ingredient Summer Squash Pasta is bright, beautiful and packed with healthy veggies. It showcases the best of summer, all without having to turn on the oven or brave the outdoors.
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As much as we love our grill, there are times when we haven't been able to use it in recent weeks. Why, you ask? Well, Joe has been working crazy hours in real estate, and like I said before, I'm lost at the helm of such a beast. The closest I've gotten to something with that kind of power is a professional range in a restaurant, BUT YOU STILL USE POTS AND PANS ON A RANGE. All this cooking over open flame? With heat that can get to 800+F?
I have to be honest. I'm a little intimidated. I'm sure I'll take the plunge sometime this summer and try using it on my own, but I'm just not there yet. I mean, I'm doing all kinds of new things right now. Blogging! Food photography! SOCIAL FREAKING MEDIA! There's only so much I can handle being a total noob at without feeling inadequate, y'all.
So when Joe told me at about 5p yesterday that he'd be working until late, I devised a plan. I had three big ol' beautiful yellow crookneck squash begging to be used, and my mint plant has grown like gangbusters. When I sautee zucchini or summer squash, I usually love the addition of mint and feta, so there was my base. All I needed was something to fill it out, and a pound of linguini was my savior.
Two Tricks to Make Your 5 Ingredients Really Shine
There's just two tricks you need to know for this recipe. 1.) Salt your pasta water GENEROUSLY. In this case, it should taste like seawater before you plop your pasta in. 2.) After your pasta is done, scoop out about a cup of the pasta water and save it. That starchy liquid turns the olive oil and garlic into a beautiful, glossy sauce.
My sweet husband sent me his ETA at 8:30, so I started right then. I had dinner ready to eat and a cocktail in hand when he walked through the door 20 minutes later. It is THAT simple. And it earned me major cool wife points.
Joe usually doesn't really love pasta, but for this recipe he went back for seconds. And as a bonus, I tried the leftovers this morning and they're even good cold! So if you make some extra, you'll have lunch figured for the week, too. I love making my meals work for me.
One final note...
If you have a lemon on hand, this recipe would be EVEN BETTER with it. I had unfortunately used my last one on my apple crumble the day before, but a bit of zest and juice would really make the mint and summer squash pop. I cheated and used a squirt of the bottled stuff, but a fresh lemon would take you from the Triple A's to the Major League.
So if life has you bogged down this week, and you really need something fast and nutritious to get on the table, look no further. This little gem is packed with flavor and will make you the star of your family's dinner table. And it'll be on the plate in 20 minutes. There's nothing more satisfying than that!
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Super Simple Summer Squash Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fettuccine
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1.5 lb Summer Squash e.g. Zucchini, Crookneck, Pattypan, Cousa, Zephyr, etc.
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- ¼ C Fresh Mint chiffonade
- 4 oz Feta Crumbles
- ½ Lemon zest and juice (optional)
- ½-1 C Pasta Cooking Water
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Water should taste like the sea before adding pasta.Add pasta and cook according to package directions.Save 1 C pasta cooking water before draining pasta.
- While water is coming to a boil, prep your squash. Cut into roughly quarter-sized pieces.
- In a sautee pan, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add squash and sprinkle with salt to encourage sweating. Cook until desired doneness, preferably al dente with a bit of golden crust. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add cooked pasta to sautee pan with about ½ C pasta water and toss to mix. Add ¾ feta, ¾ mint, and lemon juice/zest (if using). Continue to toss until mixed, adding pasta water as needed to result in a glossy, slippery sauce.
- Plate pasta, finishing with remaining mint and feta for a little pop on the plate. Enjoy!
