Description
A light, veggie‑packed pasta that’s quick and easy to whip up any busy weeknight, using summer’s best—zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 8 oz fusilli pasta
- 2 medium green zucchinis
- 2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Fresh basil or parsley leaves (for garnish)
- ½ tsp crushed chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well‑salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook until al dente, about 8–10 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, dice the zucchinis. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the zucchini until golden‑edged and just tender, about 5–7 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the cherry tomatoes, black pepper, fennel seed, garlic powder, and cayenne (if using). Pour in the vegetable broth. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are blistered yet maintaining shape, about 5–7 minutes.
- Push tomatoes to one side. Add the sautéed zucchini, pasta, and parmesan cheese. Stir gently and let the cheese melt, about 2–3 minutes. If needed, add a splash of reserved pasta water to create a silky sauce.
- Serve immediately. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, sprinkle extra parmesan, and garnish with fresh basil or parsley and optional chili flakes.
Notes
- To avoid mushy zucchini, sauté quickly over high heat—you want a slight crunch.
- Don’t rinse the pasta—this preserves the starchy coating so the sauce clings better.
- Add cherry tomatoes toward the end so they burst and release flavor without over‑cooking.
- Reserve some pasta water—it helps the sauce become smooth and clingy.
- Substitutions: use penne, rotini, bow ties, whole‑wheat or chickpea pasta; yellow squash or eggplant in place of zucchini; diced regular tomatoes if cherries aren’t available; Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano instead of parmesan; chicken stock in place of vegetable broth; skip fennel seed, or use Italian seasoning instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: approx 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 200–225 kcal
- Sugar: ––
- Sodium: ––
- Fat: 10–11 g
- Saturated Fat: ––
- Unsaturated Fat: ––
- Trans Fat: ––
- Carbohydrates: 22–25 g
- Fiber: ––
- Protein: 7–9 g
- Cholesterol: ––
