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We don’t know if it’s just us, but with the arrival of warmer weather comes our desire to spend as much time soaking up the sun and as little time trapped indoors over a hot stove. (Tell us we’re not alone in that) That’s why we look for tasty dishes that come together quickly and easily and are filling enough to keep us going without weighing us down with lots of heavy ingredients.

This zucchini pasta is a definite keeper because it incorporates fresh veggies with a light and creamy sauce; it’s full of flavor, but doesn’t require vegetating for hours afterwards, so we can enjoy our dinner and then get back outside!

Zucchini Pasta

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 cup reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 medium zucchinis, grated
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to packaging directions, or until al dente.
  2. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
  4. Add zucchini to garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream cheese. Cook until smooth and creamy.
  6. Season with salt and pepper, then add drained rotini to the pan, stirring to make sure all noodles are thoroughly coated in sauce.
  7. Pour in 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and stir to combine.

    Note: add more or less pasta water until desired consistency is reached.

  8. Stir in grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Food