Pasta with Zucchini Pesto
Did you know you can make pesto out of zucchini? It's so good!
By Ree Drummond
Jump to recipe
Yields:
4 - 6 serving(s)
Total Time:
30 mins
Don't forget to scoop out some cooking water before you drain your pasta. It's starchy and flavorful and will help loosen your pesto.
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Ingredients
Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 lb.
mezzi rigatoni or other short pasta
- 1 lb.
green beans, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1
medium zucchini
- 1/4 cup
sliced almonds
- 2
garlic cloves
- 1 cup
fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup
fresh tarragon
- 1/3 cup
plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup
grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb.
yellow summer squash, cut into half-moons
- 3/4 cup
heavy cream
Directions
- Step 1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, adding the green beans during the last 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and green beans and place in a large bowl.
- Step 2Meanwhile, slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Chop the zucchini into ½-inch pieces.
- Step 3Make the pesto: Place the almonds and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the parsley,
tarragon and zucchini and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/3 cup olive oil and process until fairly smooth. Scrape into a bowl and mix in the parmesan and season with salt and pepper. - Step 4Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the yellow squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Step 5Add the heavy cream to the skillet and stir. Reduce the heat to low and let thicken slightly, about 2 minutes. Mix in the pesto until evenly distributed.
- Step 6Add the pesto mixture to the pasta and green beans and toss, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Serve with more parmesan for topping.
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