Another quickie! Cherry tomato and garlic penne only takes about 20 minutes total to make. I am on top of the quick hearty meals these days. Let's also be serious, who doesn't love a good pasta dish on the first snow day of the season! I have also learned that cooking garlic cloves whole and then mashing them into the sauce, not only saves time, it creates a mellow garlic flavor. This flavor melds into the burst cherry tomatoes seamlessly! Make sure you use whole wheat pasta, as well! When you eat high-fiber meals, you might just reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Ingredients you will need
You will need the following
- 8 ounces of whole-wheat penne pasta
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil
- 6 cloves of garlic-peeled
- 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into thin slices
- ¾ tsp. of kosher salt
- 1 cup of chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup of mini mozzarella balls, about 4 ounces
- ¼ cup of finely grated parmesan cheese and more top serving
How to make this dish
Start off by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking water, drain the pasta and cover to keep it warm. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften and turn light golden, about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, zucchini, and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini softens and the tomatoes begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Lightly mash the garlic with the back of a spoon. Then, remove from the heat. Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pan along with the basil and mozzarella; toss to combine and serve! Top with more Parmesan to serve 🙂
Cherry Tomato and Garlic Penne
Equipment
- large pot
- large deep non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat penne
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini cut into thin slices
- ¾ cup kosher salt
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 cup mini mozzarella balls
- ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese more for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, drain the pasta and cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until it begin to soften and turn light golden, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, zucchini and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini softens and the tomatoes begin to burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Lightly mash the garlic with the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
- Add the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pan along with the basil and mozzarella; toss to combine. Serve with more parmesan.
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