Zucchini Fettuccine

Sometimes I get a song stuck in my mind. Often (perhaps, rather perversely, all things considered) it's this one:

"Tried to amend my carnivorous habits
Made it nearly seventy days
Losin' weight without speed, eatin' sunflower seeds
Drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soakin' up rays

But at night I'd had these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zucchini, fettuccine or Bulgar wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat..."

That's right. Jimmy Buffett's "Cheeseburger in Paradise." In truth, I never dream of meat. In fact, I am not even a huge fan of veggie burgers. I'll admit, once in a while, I might crave one, but they aren't at the top of my list. Zucchini, however...Now, I LOVE me some vegetables. And, as my garden is actually starting to come through on the zucchini front, I got to thinking about this.

Zucchini fettuccine...hmmmm... See, in my brain, it wasn't zucchini (comma) fettuccine, but "Zucchini Fettuccine," and that sounded damned good.

Now, if you really want to go all out with the home-cooking (I often do, so I totally understand that), you can make your own fettuccine. It's fun. If, on the other hand, you had to race out to have your hair thinned because you were starting to resemble Bugs Bunny's "Interesting Monster," and you don't have a lot of time to devote to dinner prep, you might want to just buy a pack. I recommend the fresh kind you can find in the refrigerator section of your grocery. IMO, dried fettuccine just doesn't quite have the same body as fresh, but I suppose you can use the dried kind if you prefer (in fact, I know you can. I totally cannot stop you, nor will I try). Cook it according to the package instructions, but not until your veggies are almost done.

For the veggies/sauce, here's what you'll need:

2 TBS olive oil
1 large or two small-medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" slices
6 cloves garlic
approx 15 large basil leaves
6-8 Roma tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste
approx 1/4-1/2 c. water

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add zucchini and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for a few minutes. As soon as you toss your zukes in the pan (zuke 'em ~ zuke 'em ALL!!!...oh, sorry...Moving on:) As soon as you toss your zukes in the pan crush and/or mince* your garlic, then sprinkle it over the top of the zucchini. Chop up the basil and toss it on top, then sprinkle the whole thing with salt and pepper. Gently stir things around for a minute or two, then, add your diced tomatoes and stir again, so it all cooks through. This will only take a few moments. If you want your zucchini to brown a bit, move it less often in the beginning, but be careful not to brown the garlic much, or it will go a bit bitter on you. When the zucchini looks almost as done as you would like to be, pour the water overall (use more or less water, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are). Turn up the heat, give it a stir and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer just a moment or two, to reduce the liquid to a slightly thick-ish broth. Turn off heat.

If you timed everything perfectly (you did, right? I always do. And, while I have your attention, I have some gorgeous real estate I have been thinking about selling. It's hard to part with, but, for you...) your pasta should be just about ready. Drain the pasta and turn it into a bowl ("Poof! You're a bowl!" oooohhh...magical...).

Using a slotted spoon, carefully move all of your veggies up to one end of the skillet, letting the juices drain toward the other side (tilt your skillet up a little, so the juices collect in the lower end). Spoon the broth/sauce over the pasta and toss lightly. Then arrange your veggies on top. Or, if you don't care how it looks, just mix the whole shebang together and eat it.

YUM.

Serve with good crusty bread (and a good quality olive oil for dipping your bread) and fresh salad. I happened to have a variety of lettuces from our garden (yay!) and some corn on the cob.

Normally, I would serve this with a nice wine ~ a blush or white would probably be appropriate, but I am almost always partial to red. However, in further homage to Mr. Buffett, who, after all, was the inspiration for this dish, I served margaritas (for Shane and me ~ the kids had lemonade).

* Here's how I deal with my garlic most of the time: Place peeled garlic clove on a cutting board. Lay your big 'ol chef's knife on top of it. So, you're holding the handle, but the knife is lying flat on its side ~ DO NOT point the blade up or down. The side of the knife blade is resting on the garlic clove. Now, using the heel of your hand (that's the bottom part of your palm) give the side of your knife blade, right on top of the garlic, a good, firm whack. I will see if I can find (or make) a video illustrating this. Please don't hurt yourself trying this. Please. If you don't understand, or you're worried about it, just use a garlic press or mince your garlic. It'll be fine.