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Creamy Pasta With Roasted Zucchini, Almonds and Basil

5.0(409)

Whole-grain pasta offerings on supermarket shelves have expanded with gusto. Unlike the gluey, good-for-you-but-not-your-tastebuds pastas of yore, the best whole-grain brands are firm-textured and tasty. The warm, nutty flavor of varieties like these is robust enough to stand up to intense, complicated sauces, yet satisfying with just a little butter and Parmesan shaved over the top. Here, pasta with creamy goat cheese and a bite of citrus is enough to keep even the most staunch of whole-wheat opponents satisfied.

by Melissa Clark

Open original recipe

ItalianDinner, Easy, Weeknight, Pastas, Main Course

Servings

2 servings

Total time

45 min

Calories / serving

657 kcal

Ingredients (10)

serves

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)zucchini
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher saltsalt
Pepper, to tastepepper
2 tablespoons slivered almondsslivered-almonds
1/3 cup heavy creamheavy-cream
1 sprig basil, with leaves and stembasil
3 tablespoons goat cheesegoat-cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zestlemon
6 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or linguinelinguine

Instructions (4 steps)

01Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss the zucchini and oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Arrange zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
02Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
03Simmer the cream and basil sprig in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the goat cheese until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and keep warm.