Doctor Domestic

I know its not quite summer yet, but I feel like I need to start getting warmed up for the months of non-stop zucchini production by getting reacquainted with making my old summer standby- Summer Squash Spaghetti.  I made this up while I was living in Tucson out of laziness and the desire to add more vegetables to my diet.

When I moved back to be in Kansas with my husband, I didn’t figure that he’d go for a dish like this.  One time for dinner, I was at a total loss for what to make and he told me to just make something I would have made for myself in Tucson.  So I made us up a pan of the squash spaghetti and guess what…he actually liked it…a lot!  I know, I know, I was just as shocked as you are.  I thought I’d have to trick him into eating this many vegetables in one sitting by covering them in melted cheese and sprinkles, but to my utter delight, this has become a meal he frequently requests!

Just tonight as I was making dinner, he came by and said that he had been looking forward to this specific meal since we haven’t had it in a long time.  See?  It warmed my heart to hear such praise for a vegetarian dish, heavy on the vegetables.

This recipe is super simple, its all about the ingredients.

Add in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese, and that’s literally all there is, folks.

Saute the vegetables in a good helping of olive oil – its the only “sauce” there is, so you can’t skimp too much – and add a generous pinch of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.  I like to saute them over fairly high heat so the squash and onions get slightly browned and carmelized.  The garlic is grated in a little later so it won’t burn.  You can finely mince the garlic, but I find the micro-plane the perfect tool for grating it down.

Once the veggies are done, simply pile them atop some cooked spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan.  You can of course use whatever pasta your little heart desires.  I’ve tried it with whole wheat Penne and thought it was good, but the Mister isn’t so hot on the whole wheat pasta.

Prep Ranking: #1 – Make on the Fly (it takes about 15 minutes start to finish)
Tastiness Grade: 8/10

Simple recipe after the jump.

Summer Squash Spaghetti (enought for 2 large servings…just add more pasta and veggies for more servings)

1 Zucchini, cut into half moons, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
1/2 Yellow Squash, cut into half moons, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
1/2 Medium Onion, sliced
2 small or 1 large clove Garlic, grated or finely minced
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Enough Spaghetti for 2 servings
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan

Add the olive oil to a large saute pan.  Add the onions, zucchini and yellow squash.  Saute for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.  Add a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.  The pepper is an important seasoning in this dish, so add enough to really taste it.  After about 5 minutes, grate in the garlic and continue to saute over medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.  The veggies are done when they are softened and slightly browned.

A tip to achieve browning is to let the veggies sit without fussing with them too much.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta to desired doneness.

Put the cooked veggies on top of the pasta and mix together to coat the pasta with the oil.  Top with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Tags: Cooking, Food, pasta, squash