June 1: Zucchini and Bow Ties

   Coarse salt
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, cut into matchsticks
   Coarse black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
   Tomato salad

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the bow ties al dente, with a bite. Heads up: You will need a couple of ladles of starchy cooking water.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO and the garlic.

Cook for 2 minutes, then add the zucchini.

Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add a couple of ladles of cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the zucchini. Toss with the cheese and turn off the heat. Toss for 2 minutes, until the liquids are absorbed.

4 SERVINGS

This meal was very fast and easy and delicious. I loved the cheesiness and the zucchini. It's a recipe I would definitely make over and over. I changed the Parmigiano-Reggiano to Parmesan. And I added the salad to the ingredient list. I didn't notice it up there before the recipe when I was making out my grocery list, so I didn't buy the tomatoes. I took this recipe from October 31; there were some spring-type recipes in Oct/Nov, so I swapped them with the winter-type recipes that were here in June. This week we'll be having Zucchini and Bow Ties, Incredible French Crunchy Salad, and Springtime Bows with Asparagus, Ham, and Peas instead of Baby and Big Bella Mushroom and Chicken Stew,Southwestern Pasta Bake, and Smoky Chipotle Chili Con Queso Mac. Those will be saved for the fall.