Zucchini Spaghetti

Zucchini spaghetti is one of my favorite pasta dishes. I never feel guilty satisfying a carb craving with this light, yet filling, entrée.

For one of our first dates, Eric romantically prepared me a dinner of sautéed tomatoes, basil, and garlic over pasta. I really loved the simplicity of it. Afterward, I started mixing my favorite veggies into our pasta meals. Consequently, this family of spaghetti dishes quickly became a staple in our apartment.

Be creative and add your favorite herbs and vegetables! Also, try adjusting the thicknesses of your noodles according to the size of your vegetable pieces (zucchini goes well with linguini, spaghetti squash goes well with angle hair pasta, etc).

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini, julienned
• Whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 c basil leaves, roughly chopped
• Grated parmesan cheese, to taste, plus more for sprinkling
• Salt and Pepper
• Lemon wedge (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
2. Meanwhile, julienne zucchini.
3.  Add spaghetti noodles to the boiling water.  Cook noodles until just done or slightly al dente.  Drain well, and reserve a small amount of pasta water.
4. Heat oil in a large pan and add the garlic.  Saute garlic until fragrant, or about 1-2 minutes.  Add the pasta, zucchini, and basil leaves and toss.  Remove pan from heat.
5. Add grated parmesan cheese and a little pasta water, if needed for a desired consistency.  Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve with a lemon wedge and garnish with a few basil leaves.

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