Summer Veggie Pasta Saute

On Monday (re: pre-blog) I made a fabulous pasta dish from my friend Mollie over Reading, 'Riting, and Recipes. Hence, no pictures, but it was too good not to share! It was a beautiful dish to look at and the creamy cheese really gave the sauce depth without adding too much fat. My changes in pink italics.

Summer Veggie Pasta Saute
Mollie’s Collection
Serves 4

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6-8 ounces hot Italian sausage, crumbled
1 ½ - 2 cups sliced zucchini I used one zucchini, halved it vertically; then sliced
1-1 ½ cups fat free low sodium chicken broth
1-2 large shallots, sliced
3-4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 pint (2 cups) grape or cherry tomatoes – halved
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon Penzeys Pasta Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, oregano, and thyme
8-10 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons I omitted
3 wedges laughing cow cheese
10 unces pasta of your choice – 1 cup of pasta water reserved (or 4 servings of filled pasta of your choice) I used 8 ounces spinach fettuccine

Heat a large pot of well salted water and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat half of the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. I did not use the oil to begin with and instead added the crumbled sausage to the heated pan, cooked through, and removed from the pan. Now add the oil. Add the zucchini and season with salt. Stir occasionally until it begins to brown. Remove the zucchini from the pan and set aside.

To the leftover browned bits in the bottom of the pan, add the remaining olive oil. When heated, add the shallots and garlic, cooking until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, being sure to stir up all the bits from the bottom of the pan with a flat wooden spoon. When it begins to simmer, add the tomatoes. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by at about half. Season with more salt, crushed red pepper and the pasta sprinkle seasoning.

When the sauce has thickened, turn the heat down to low and add the cheese and stir as it begins to melt. Add in the cooked pasta and the reserved zucchini and toss to combine, making sure to coat everything with the sauce. Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce and help with melting the cheese. I did not need to do this. Sprinkle with the basil and season again to taste.

Serve immediately.