Description
Silky zucchini sauce elevates pasta dishes with Mediterranean charm, bringing garden-fresh ingredients to your plate. Summer’s green bounty blends into a smooth, luxurious condiment perfect for those seeking light and delightful meal companions.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Vegetables:
- 2 medium zucchinis, grated or finely chopped
Dairy and Cream Ingredients:
- ½ cup heavy cream (or ½ cup half-and-half for a lighter option)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers:
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning (optional)
- ¼ teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
Cooking Fats:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons butter
Additional Liquid:
- ½ cup pasta water (if using for pasta)
Instructions
- Prepare a sizable skillet and warm olive oil over moderate temperature, creating a welcoming environment for aromatic ingredients.
- Introduce minced garlic to the pan, allowing it to dance and release its fragrant essence for approximately 30 seconds without browning.
- Incorporate freshly grated zucchini into the skillet, stirring gently and allowing the vegetable to soften and develop a delicate golden hue across 5-7 minutes of cooking.
- Lower the cooking temperature, inviting heavy cream, grated Parmesan, seasoned salt, cracked black pepper, and Italian herb blend into the vegetable mixture.
- Gently simmer the emerging sauce, continuously stirring to encourage harmonious melding of flavors and achieving a luxuriously smooth, thick consistency within 2-3 minutes.
- For pasta preparations, leverage reserved pasta water as a strategic tool to fine-tune the sauce’s texture, adding small increments until reaching desired silkiness.
- Versatile and inviting, this creamy zucchini sauce can elegantly coat pasta, cascade over grilled protein, or serve as an enticing dip alongside rustic bread slices.
Notes
- Maximize zucchini flavor by gently squeezing out excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel before cooking to prevent watery sauce.
- Elevate the sauce’s richness by toasting garlic briefly and adding a pinch of red pepper flakes for subtle heat and depth.
- Transform into a lighter version by substituting heavy cream with Greek yogurt or cashew cream for a healthier, dairy-free alternative.
- Enhance protein content by stirring in cooked shredded chicken or crispy pancetta for a more substantial meal that satisfies different dietary needs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg