Farfalle with Zucchini & Tomatoes

When I made this dish, Scotty and my sister weren't home to taste the goodness that was this pasta right when it was finished. Its too bad because I think it tasted the best right off the stove. The only thing I did differently from the original recipe was I didn't use Arrowroot. I looked all over my grocery store for it, but no luck. All I did was cook the sauce down a bit more and honestly the pasta made the sauce thicken. Also, don't cook the zucchini too much! I think I cooked it too long and it got a little mushy. Make sure it has a bit of a bite to it.

This pasta is perfect on a hot day. The ingredients are simple and the pasta reflects that. I would say that the fresh herbs are optional but they really make this dish sing. I mix them into the dish as a whole but I also sprinkle some on top of my plate for some extra freshness.

Farfalle with Zucchini & Tomatoes
This recipe is courtesy of Pioneer Woman.

16 oz. Farfalle Noodles
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2-3 Zucchini's Chopped into half inch pieces
1 Pint Grape Tomatoes - Cut in half
1 Small Onion - Diced
5-6 cloves Garlic - Chopped
1/2 cup White Wine
Handful of Basil - Chopped
Handful of Thyme - Chopped
Handful of Chives - Chopped
Shredded Parmesan Cheese (I bought mine in the deli already shredded, feel free to grate your own if you like)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Boil a pot of water. Add a handful of salt (this helps flavor the pasta!) Cook the Farfalle until al dente, drain and set aside. I also like to save some pasta water in case the sauce is to thick.

While the pasta is cooking, take a large pan and heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, throw in the zucchini. Don't stir it right away, you want them to brown a bit on the bottom. Once a little brown stir around and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook until desired doneness but don't overcook! Remove zucchini from pan and set aside.

In same pan, drizzle a bit more olive oil if needed. Saute onions and garlic until onions are transparent, about 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to about medium and add grape tomatoes. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the white wine and cook down for about 3 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream while stirring and cook for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper at this point, and dont be skimpy!

Add the pasta directly into the sauce. I like to use a big saute pan so it all fits. The starch from the pasta helps thicken the sauce, so don't skip this step. Mix all together. YUMMM, looks good already.

Take a big handful of shredded parmesan cheese, and all of the chopped herbs and mix into the pasta. At this point, if the sauce is too thick, take some of that saved pasta water and pour it in until the sauce is the right consistency. Plate and serve! Put some fresh chopped herbs on each plate with a bit more parmesan cheese. Can we say yum? :)