Arugula Pesto Penne with Sautéed Zucchini
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 oz Penne Pasta (I used gluten free)
- 1 medium Zucchini sliced thin
- 3 cups Arugula
- 1 cup fresh Italian Flat Parsley
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/4 cup Cashews
- 2 Tbs Capers drained and rinsed
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs EVOO divided
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by making the Pesto.
- Add Arugula, Parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano, Cashews, Capers, Garlic, and 1/2 cup of EVOO to a food processor
- Pulse 20-30 seconds, stopping and scraping down the sides in between
- The texture should be smooth and not pasty
- Add Salt and Pepper to taste
- Makes approximately 1 cup, however you only need 1/2 cup of this pesto for this recipe (you can store remaining pesto in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days)
- Set aside Pesto
- Cook pasta as directed or until al dente
- While pasta is cooking sauté Zucchini
- In a large frying pan add 2 Tbs EVOO and heat over med/high heat
- When oil is warm add Zucchini and sauté 2-3 minutes until slightly softened
- Drain pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water to thin out the sauce
- Add pasta to Zucchini, add in 1/2 cup of Pesto
- Slowly pour in some of the pasta water to create more of a thinner sauce, add enough water for your desired consistency
- Sauté 1-2 minutes
- Serve immediately
- Enjoy!
