Friday Finds: Fusilli with Shredded Zucchini

On this week's Friday Finds I am featuring a summery pasta recipe from my new favorite cookbook Modern Mediterranean by Melia Marden. I'm obsessed with this cookbook and all of the simple recipes utilizing fresh ingredients in it. You'll likely be seeing a lot of recipes from Modern Mediterranean on these Friday posts throughout the summer as I cook my way through it.

This time around I tried this fusilli pasta with shredded zucchini recipe. The dish comes together pretty quickly and the minimal hands-on cooking time makes it perfect for a summer dinner. It is packed with zucchini and topped with Parmesan, making it a perfect meatless main dish. We ate ours as a side dish with some simple grilled chicken breasts.

The recipe made enough that I had some leftovers to take for lunch. I omitted the Parmesan and added some fresh mozzarella pearls and toasted pine nuts instead. It may have tasted even better than the original.

Ingredients:

• 3 zucchini
• Kosher salt
• 1 lb. fusilli (rotini) pasta *I used Barilla Whole Grain
• 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for the pasta
• 2 shallots, cut in half and thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut into large chunks. Using the grater attachment on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater, shred the zucchini. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta, place in a large bowl, and toss with a little olive oil.

Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the 3 Tbs. oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft but browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the zucchini, pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. salt, and black pepper to taste and stir well to combine. Cook until the zucchini is softened, about 3 minutes.

Return the pasta to the pot and add the reserved cooking water. Cook until the ingredients are well combined and the pasta is warmed through, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.