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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Summer Squash and Pasta with Lemon Basil Butter Sauce

Because sometimes you just want to make something fancy!!! (And super duper fattening.)

I bought a bottle of the most amazing Chardonnay ever a couple of weeks ago at a farmer's market.  [Yes, I bought wine at a farmer's market.  Yes, that was my only purchase that day.  Because I'm a classy lady like that.]  I've been saving it to share with my roomie because, well, we have to say good-bye soon.  We're both moving away from Kalamazoo and we've been trying to plan one last roomie dinner before we go.  I wanted to make something fancy to go with the wine, but haven't had much time to cook lately.  As it is, tonight's dinner was served at 11:00 pm.  Because that's how I roll.

Anyhow, I was gifted with some beautiful summer squash last weekend, and  I decided to throw together several summer flavors, just to see what would happen.  The sauce is positively heavenly.  But it's a little heavy, and paired with the pasta, it may be a bit much for some folks.  Now, that didn't stop me from having 3 (small-ish) servings, but the sauce could go on anything: portobello mushrooms, grilled veggies, tofu/tempeh/seitan cutlets, you name it.  Also, I had way more pasta than sauce, so plan accordingly.  Perhaps halve the amount of pasta?  Or double the sauce?  Or throw caution to the wind, I'm not judging.

The Chardonnay paired perfectly with these flavors, by the way.  And the roomie loved it, so I've got that going for me.  Hopefully this isn't our last last dinner together, but if I keep this up, we're definitely going out with a bang!



Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine (Too much pasta!!!)
2 large summer squash, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2/3 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I got this from 1 1/2 lemons)
1/2 Tbsp agave nectar
.75 oz fresh basil, chopped (OK, so that's what the package said.  I don't know how to translate that measurement into normal recipe jargon.)
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.  Add the squash ribbons for the last 3 minutes.
In a large skillet pan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Once butter is melted, add shallots and cook for 3 min.  Pour in the wine and lemon juice and stir well.  Let simmer for 5 min, then stir in the basil.  Continue to simmer for another 4-5 min, adding salt and pepper to taste.
When pasta is done, drain and return to pot.  Arrange pasta on plate and drizzle with butter sauce.  Enjoy with a friend... and a glass of Chardonnay. 


2 comments:

  1. Thus sounds delicious, can't wait to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Michael! Let me know how it turns out. :)

    ReplyDelete