Zucchini Pasta With Creamy Yogurt Sauce Food

ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH CREAMY YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Using a spiral vegetable slicer, spiralize zucchini
• Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds when they splutter, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add fennel powder, black pepper powder and nutmeg sauté for few minutes.
• Toss zucchini with a pair of tongs for 2 minutes (do not overcook) remove from heat and add greek yogurt, toss until combine.
• Season with salt, peanut and red chili flakes

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH GARLICKY YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Zucchini slices: Cut 1 zucchini into ¼-inch rounds, place in a bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Heat a grill pan to medium-high; cook zucchini until there's a slight char on either side. Set aside.
• Zucchini "noodles": Trim the ends off the remaining zucchinis, cut them in half vertically, and use a spiralizer to make long ribbons, yielding 8 cups of zucchini "noodles." Set aside.
• Sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, add remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant (about 1 minute), turn the heat to low. Add the labneh and water; stir slowly, incorporating everything thoroughly. Season with a few pinches of salt, and allow mixture to slowly cook. Chop herbs and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente (should take less than 3 minutes). Drain and add to the sauce, along with the zucchini noodles and chopped herbs; salt to taste. Mix well so the zucchini noodles and pasta are evenly sauced.
• Assemble the dish: Add the zucchini and pasta noodles to a serving dish; arrange the grilled zucchini slices around the edge. Finish with lemon juice, a bit of salt, and a mint sprig or two. Serve immediately.

CREAMY PASTA WITH ROASTED ZUCCHINI, ALMONDS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the zucchini and oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Arrange zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Simmer the cream and basil sprig in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well. Toss the pasta with the cream sauce. Serve topped with the zucchini and almonds.

CARAMELIZED ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• In a large (at least 12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil. When it's foaming, add the zucchini, garlic, the basil stems and half the basil leaves. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and cook until pooling with liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates and the zucchini starts to sizzle, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Continue to cook until the zucchini is very soft, dark green, and reduced to about 1 cup, another 20 to 25 minutes. When you see a build up of browned bits on the skillet, add a couple tablespoons of water and stir, scraping up the browned bits. Repeat anytime more browning occurs. If you see burning, deglaze with water and lower the heat. (Caramelized zucchini can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week; it also freezes well.)
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the zucchini is about done, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta. If the zucchini is ready before the pasta, keep cooking it; the zucchini will only get better the longer it cooks.
• When the pasta's drained, remove the herb stems from the zucchini. Reduce the heat on the zucchini to medium, then add the pasta, 1 cup pasta water, and the Parmesan. Stir until the pasta is glossed with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining basil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more basil, Parmesan and black pepper.