Zucchini & Carrot Ribbon Pasta

Okay, let's hope the wait was worth it. I present you with my hard-won zucchini pasta recipe. This is The Pit's new favorite pasta dish, and although I've never really eaten or liked zucchini before, I must say that the lemon-parmesan combo in this dish is so good, it makes even squash taste delicious.


What you'll need for a large bowl of pasta (2 large dinner portions, and 2-3 smaller lunch portions):

• 2 peeled carrots
  
• 1 green zucchini (unpeeled)
  
• 1 yellow summer squash (unpeeled)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup asiago cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  
• juice of 1/2 lemon & 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
  

Steps:
1) Peel the carrots, and then use a mandolin to slice the carrots, zucchini, and summer squash into thin ribbons. Slice the ribbons in half lengthwise so that they better match the width of the pasta.


2) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package directions.

3) While the pasta is cooking, heat several tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes.

4) Add the ribbons of carrots, squash, and zucchini to the skillet, and cook for 6-10 minutes. Salt and pepper the vegetables, and add a little of the lemon juice as they cook.


5) When the pasta is cooked, drain and put in a large mixing bowl with contents of the skillet. Mix in the cheeses, parsley, and the remainder of the lemon juice. You can also add about a teaspoon of lemon zest to the mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.


Viola! If you don't have an evil mandoline around the house, I think it would also work to just chop the veggies into relatively small pieces, and use a more chunky pasta (elbows, fusilli, etc). You might need to cook the chopped vegetables for a little longer than the ribbons too.