Thursday, August 20, 2009

Garden Fresh Summertime Pasta!


When I found this recipe on the Williams Sonoma website, I thought it would be a great idea to use the bounty of fresh vegetables available at the farmers' markets or in the garden at the end of summer. It has tomatoes, zucchini and corn - all at the peak of the season right now.  


It's a recipe I will make again and again - it's that good! Are you looking at a basket of zucchini that you don't know what to do with?  Look no further!


I will say that this took longer to prepare than I anticipated.  However, after making it the first time, I knew it could be assembled earlier in the day and then baked when needed.

Delicious, and summertime fresh!

Baked Summer Pasta

Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
Printable Recipe

Serves 8

Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 lb. penne pasta
6 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
Fresh Kernels cut from of 2 ears of corn
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste9
8 small zucchini, about 2 lb. total, cut into half-moons
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 Tbs. sliced garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

In a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the corn, season with salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and warm the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Working in batches, add the zucchini, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add to the bowl with the corn. Repeat with the remaining zucchini, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Set the pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, 1 tsp. salt and black pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and begin to form a sauce, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the wine has reduced and the sauce is fairly thick, about 3 minutes more.

Add the pasta, tomato sauce, basil, mozzarella and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to the bowl with the vegetables and stir to combine. Transfer to the fry pan and sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

18 comments:

  1. I am drawn to this all-in-one-pan-goodness!!! Love all the colors!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That does look good..too much for me to make for myself but have a couple of get-togethers later on it would be great for..
    I'm drowning in tomatoes from other people - but I can handle them at any meal!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This looks yummy and so summery. Somehow I missed this WS recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Baked pasta.. what could be more delish? Susan have you been watching The Next Food Network Star?

    The last episode here in Canada was about Julie and Julia and Melissa had a word for the rank in which she sautés or cooks her veggies for the ratatouille..This reminds me of it..if you can catch the episode..it's a good one;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I came to your blog via your comment on the Christmas decorating post on Teresa's Grammy Girlfriend blog. Oh am I glad I stopped by, what great recipes you have! I love to cook and and I'm so excited to find such great recipes!! I live in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and can't wait to try some of this yummy looking food!!

    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this type of summer meal! Thanks for sharing Susan.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks delicious Susan, it sings summer! Thank you for sharing the recipe. Beautiful photos, as always!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is summertime on a plate. When tomatoes and zucchini are so plentiful I make lots of sauce for winter. Love pasta and veggies.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Susan, what a great recipe. I love everything in it and really like that it doesn't contain cream or milk. ... Thanks for letting us know that it can be assembled earlier.

    Your pictures are fabulous. I make another recipe of yours that was from Williams-Sonoma. Unfortunately, I cannot remember which one. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. That sounds wonderful. I am going to try it. Thanks for the tip about assemblying it earlier in the day. I think I will try that. Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Susan...This dish looks so yummy and has many of my summer favorites, too! I scrolled down and looked at your full moon rising photos...wonderful! I saw this myself for the first time at the beach last year...gorgeous! Happy weekend...Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks simply delicious! I need to keep this in mind for when I get my biweekly veggie box. It also looks so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  13. This does look delicious and I agree - after you make it once it will never take thatlong again!
    Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

    ReplyDelete
  14. The pasta looks fantastic! I definitely have to make it! Would have been a huge hit for all the starving counselors that visit me in the baking room! Saving that one, but definitely trying it out on my family. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh goodie! I love pasta dishes, especially the ones that call for fresh oregano.
    That is one herb I love, of which I have tons of, and never enough ideas on what to do with it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I get a kick out of all the commenters who think this looks great but will never get around to making it. What do we learn from them?

    Well I made it and it's a fantastic and tasty recipe. The trick is to use fresh everything. Allow sufficient prep time. My son must have eaten half of it he liked it so. This recipe easily serves four and can be made ahead to bake. Try it!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is SO GOOD!

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate your comment!