Description
This Tuscan Pasta or Zucchini and Tomato Pasta is based off a pasta dish I whipped up using local ingredients in Italy. I recreated it at home with a simple green olive and basil tapenade. This truly is the perfect simple Summer pasta dish!
Ingredients
Scale
- 500 grams orecchiette* or any small pasta (17.6 oz)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth (to saute vegetables)
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 small white onions, diced
- 5 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 2 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Basil Olive Tapenade
- 1/2 cup green olives
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, lightly packed
- 2 tbsp starchy pasta water
Garnish
- 2–4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Vegan Parmesan
- Fresh Basil
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the directions on the box in a large pot. Cook until al dente (when the pasta is still a bit hard – it will continue cooking when you saute the pasta noodles with the vegetables). Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water for the Basil Olive Tapenade.
- Over medium-high heat, in a large pan, saute the diced garlic and onion with a couple splashes of vegetable broth for a couple of minutes until the vegetable broth is evaporated and the onions are lightly cooked.
- Add the chopped roma tomatoes. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the chopped zucchini. Saute for 3 – 4 minutes until the zucchini is lightly cooked. Add the cherry tomatoes. Saute for 2 minutes. Some of the water from the tomatoes will naturally evaporate- this is okay.
- While the vegetables are sauteing, make the Basil Olive Tapenade. Blend together the green olives, fresh basil and 2 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water. I used an immersion stick blender. If you are using a regular blender you might need to add a couple extra tablespoons of starchy pasta water for the olives and basil to blend.
- Toss the pasta with the zucchini-tomato vegetable mixture and the Basil Olive Tapenade. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh lemon juice (beginning with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, to taste) and vegan parmesan (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
1) I used orecchiette in the original pasta dish but could not find them to take the photos when recreating it at home. You can use any small-medium size noodle in this Tuscan Pasta.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Italian