Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti

C – I think I do a good job of hiding vegetables.

I always seem to want to hide vegetables in my food. I hated eating cooked vegetables when I was younger. Things haven’t changed much. I still barely cook my vegetables. I usually eat them raw more than cooked. I just hate the soggy, mushy texture of vegetables when they are overcooked. I think my boyfriend has similar taste. He hates eating cooked vegetables. He avoids them at all cost … unless he’s trying to make me happy.

He will eat vegetables when they are hidden in things. For me, pasta dishes have been the best way to hide vegetables for him. I make a mean vegetarian lasagna. He didn’t even know there were only vegetables in it until I told him. He once spent a whole weekend eating ravioli I left him, not knowing there wasn’t any meat inside. He was actually happy with not eating any meat and somewhat proud of himself for surviving the whole ordeal.

This recipe may or may not go well with him. Zucchini shredded to look like spaghetti. I added regular spaghetti too, to make sure you could barely taste or see the zucchini. I am hoping that the zucchini pasta doesn’t overcook and become a mushy mess.

Throwing in the zucchini at the last minute and turning off the heat really helped. There was a slight crunch to the zucchini, which made the dish really interesting and good. It felt light. So, you could eat a lot of it if you wanted to. I could tell there were vegetables in the dish. The flavors blended well together. You couldn’t really tell there was a lot of zucchini. I liked it.

I think the best part was the Parmesan, garlic, lemon, rosemary and sage sauce. It really made the dish amazing. It was so flavorful. I loved eating a pasta dish that felt light and not heavy.

Zucchini and Lemon Spaghetti

Recipe type: Mains

Author: Christina

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 7 oz. dried spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 medium zucchini, julienne-cut into long spaghetti-sized strips
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1½ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, plus more for serving
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti. Stir every so often so the strands of pasta don’t stick together.
2. When the pasta is just cooked, drain into a colander.
3. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil. Mix to lightly coat the pasta and prevent the strands from sticking together. Set it aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat for about 30 seconds.
5. Add garlic and herbs saute for about 1 minute until garlic is golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
6. Add pasta into pan. Mix well and heat through..
7. Mix in the cheese and lemon zest.
8. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat.
9. Add zucchini and mix well. Taste again and adjust seasoning. Don’t let zucchini wilt or it will release juices and make the dish watery.
10. Sprinkle with more grated cheese.
11. Serve.
12. Enjoy!

3.1.08

I hope the boyfriend likes it … but, he’s already on to me hiding vegetables in his dishes.

I will have to let you know if he approves this one.

Adapted from: http://ohmyveggies.com/recipe-zucchini-and-lemon-spaghetti-from-food-vegetarian-home-cooking/