Date: July 16th, 2012
Recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/07/farfalle-with-zucchini-a-yummy-summer-meal/
Modifications: I used zucchini and summer squash, not quite as much veggies as she calls for (maybe 3/4 of an onion, and half a very large zucchini and summer squash, and about a pint of tomatoes). She does not specify an amount of noodles – I used half a box of Farfalle. Thyme and basil were the herbs we had. Did not use arrowroot to thicken the sauce. I also used probably 2 cups of parmesan 🙂
Time to table: 30-45 minutes
Servings: 4 adults
Ben: Love
Erin: Love
Annie: Like
Notes: We made this last summer too and it totally sucked – 3 dislikes. I had liked it the other several times I’d made it, so I needed to try again. The keys to success of this dish for me are ensuring the zucchini/squash gets browned, as well as the onions – I just left them in the pan without stirring for quite awhile to get them nice and browned, which left lots of tasty bits to get into the sauce. Also, cheese. Just lots and lots of it. And, not too much pasta so that there is enough sauce to coat everything – add the pasta at the end bit by bit so you know you don’t have too much.
We’ve fallen off the meal planning wagon lately (100+ temps and 2 kids don’t make us want to run to the kitchen, apparently) but it felt good to have 4 good meals planned this week. Glad we’ve gotten into enough of a routine with 2 kids now that making dinner doesn’t feel too daunting! We aren’t doing our CSA this summer, so we can just go to the Farmer’s Market on the weekends and get the exact veggies we want/need which is a nice change, although I do miss the variety of the box – but the last few years it got to be a bit too much for us to handle without feeling too stressed, so I’m glad for a break. All the veggies/herbs in this except thyme were from the Farmer’s Market.
