Roasted Zucchini Pasta with Tomatoes

Roasted Zucchini Pasta with Tomatoes

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When summer zucchini are overflowing at the farmers market—or in your backyard garden—this Roasted Zucchini Pasta with Tomatoes is the dish I turn to again and again. It’s light, fresh, delicious, easy  and, made with a few  simple ingredients.

Roasting the zucchini brings out its natural sweetness, while sautéed garlic and blistered cherry tomatoes add just the right depth. Blended into a silky cream sauce with pasta water and tossed with your favorite pasta, it’s the kind of easy weeknight meal that still feels special. Vegetarian, comforting, and made for summer—this one’s a keeper.

Things to know about this Roasted Zucchini Pasta with Tomatoes

  • Use peak-season zucchini for the best flavor—smaller zucchini tend to be sweeter and less watery.

  • Roasting adds depth. Don’t skip the roasting step—it caramelizes the zucchini and makes the sauce extra rich and flavorful.

  • Sautéing the garlic and tomatoes separately brings out a beautiful sweetness and keeps the garlic from burning in the oven.

  • Blend to your texture preference. You can keep the zucchini cream sauce super smooth or leave it a little chunky for more texture.

  • Reserve that pasta water! It’s key to loosening the sauce and helping it cling beautifully to the pasta.

  • Make it your own. Add fresh herbs like basil or mint, a dollop of ricotta, or a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.

  • Leftovers? This pasta reheats well with a splash of water or a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over low heat. If your looking for more easy recipes to use up those summer zucchini try my creamy lemon parmesan zucchini orzo, it’s so good and easy to make

 

Roasted Zucchini Pasta with Tomatoes

  • 12 oz your favorite pasta shape
  • 3 zucchini washed and sliced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves (minced)
  • Salt and black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water (always reserve more than the recipe calls for)
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F . Spread sliced zucchini on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and lightly golden.
  2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 5–7 minutes until they begin to blister and soften. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
  4. Transfer the roasted zucchini to a blender or food processor. Add the reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water as needed for a silky sauce.
  5. Add the pureed zucchini and the parmesan cheese to the tomatoes. Toss in your cooked and drained pasta.
  6. Plate the pasta and finish with extra Parmesan.



Easy Chicken Meatballs

Easy Chicken Meatballs

This post may contain affiliate links, that help support this blog. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a commission—at no cost to you. For more information read my disclosure policy.

These chicken meatballs are the very best meatballs ever, the healthier version of everyone’s favorite.

Ground chicken breast,  seasoned with rich traditional Italian flavors, so good you’ll want to make them often.

Think pasta and meatballs, meatball sandwiches or just a bowl of meatballs with sour dough bread to sop up the homemade marinara sauce.

Chicken meatballs can be used in many different ways and  frozen for ready made meals for busy weeknight dinners, or unexpected company is coming.

It’s not often you find a meal everyone will love, when you do it’s a win-win.

While the Italian meatball may not rival in popularity in the same way as the American hamburger, it still has a big following across the nation. I know they ‘re popular in my house

The Definition Of Meatballs

The definition of  meatballs is ground meat that is shaped into a ball. In Italian meatballs they are made from beef or veal and either fried or baked before finishing the cooking process in marinara sauce. We had this meal twice a week when I was growing up, on Thursday and Sunday.

I still make the same meal for my family at least once a week using ground chicken.  These chicken meatballs are a healthier version of the classic without losing

any of the authentic Italian flavors. I made them even healthier by baking them in my Cuisinart air fryer

A few tips

Don’t over mix the meat mix only until well blended,

if your hand are damp it makes it easier to roll 

Pre portion the meat before forming into meatballs

Don’t overcook bake total cooking time is 30 minutes 1o minutes in the oven and 20 minutes in the marinara sauce

If you make these chicken meatballs please leave me a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram….That’s my favorite part hearing from you !!!  If you love meatballs try my Baked vegetarian zucchini meatballs for a delicious vegetarian option or the classic .Meatball Sunday sauce

Easy Chicken Meatballs

  • 1 lbs. ground chicken breast
  • 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons each chopped garlic and Italian parsley
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • salt and pepper to taste

  1. Turn oven to 375 degrees

  2. Mix all ingredients except the ground chicken well
  3. Add the ground chicken mixing until well blended don’t over mix
  4. With damp hands roll into golf size balls
  5. bake in a preheated oven 10 minutes
  6. Transfer to prepared marinara
  7. Simmer 20 covered 20 minutes



Summertime Bruschetta Spaghetti Dish

Summertime Bruschetta Spaghetti dish

I love  a delicious bowl of pasta full of fresh summer garden ingredients.

My Summertime bruschetta spaghetti dish recipe is flavored with just picked cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh herbs, these ingredients when combined together produce the most delicious creamy sauce.

Sometimes the best and most delicious recipes are the simplest. The most important ingredients are always to use the best what’s in season whether homegrown or store bought!!!!

 

A few tips when making this Summertime Bruschetta spaghetti dish

The main ingredient in this Summertime Bruschetta spaghetti dish recipe is tomatoes. So whether your using homegrown or store bought it’s important the use the best quality you can find.

Just as important as the tomatoes how you start your saute makes a difference In this pasta recipe I use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. 

And lastly fresh mozzarella adds the creamy texture and the pasta water is the secret ingredient the brings it all together. I always save more pasta water than the recipes calls for in case the sauce is too dry.

Please leave me a comment when you make this recipe. And please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram with your creations. I love hearing from you, it’s my favorite part!!!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Lb. spaghetti
  • 2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes sliced
  • Small container fresh mozzarella balls
  • 1 cup pasta water
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  •  1/2 medium chopped onion
  • 4 cloves chopped garlic
  • 2 Tbs. each chopped basil and Italian parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions reserving 1 cup of the water
  2. Meanwhile bring the olive oil to a light sizzle
  3. Add the chopped onion and garlic saute until tender and just beginning to brown
  4. Add the sliced tomatoes salt and pepper now then saute until the tomatoes begin to blister
  5. Add the reserved pasta water simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly
  6. Add the fresh mozzarella the last 5 minutes
  7. Toss the spaghetti in the sauce add the basil
  8. Top with  the grated parmesan and Italian parsley


Chicken Piccata Pasta Primavera

Chicken Piccata Pasta Primavera

A light pasta meal, this chicken piccata pasta primavera is a prefect Summertime quick family dinner full of classic Italian flavors!!!

Full of lemony freshness this chicken and pasta dish comes together in less than 30 minutes, and  your family is going to love it . And you will feel good  serving a restaurant quality meal from your kitchen, that’s not only delicious, it’s healthy too!!!!

Customize this Chicken piccata pasta primavera

This chicken piccata pasta primavera recipe is easy to customize to fit your lifestyle and taste.

The first and easier way to make this pasta dish your own is to change the pasta shape.  The truth is most pasta shapes work well in most pasta dish recipes.

Second if your family hates or loves spinach add more or less to taste. I love spinach and add extra most of the time.  Spinach is one of those vegetables that ends up being half of the amount you put in after it’s cooked. Pasta dishes are also a good place to hide spinach for those that don’t have the same fondness for spinach as I do.

Lastly I used chicken stock. You can use white wine instead in his chicken piccata pasta primavera if that’s your preference.

One more thing when making pan sauces the right size saute pan help. My favorite and on sale https://amzn.to/39XdMRy

Ingredients

  • 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips
  • 1/2 Lb. Fettuccini
  • 1 Tbls each butter and extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbls. minced garlic
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 1/2 cup capers
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup pasta water
  • 1 cup chicken stock or white wine

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package direction reserving 1 cup of the water before draining
  2. Salt and pepper the chicken
  3.  In a medium size saute pan over medium high heat in the butter and olive oil, saute the chicken along with the garlic until slightly brown
  4. Add the tomatoes along with the capers saute for a few minutes
  5. Deglaze the pan with the broth or white wine
  6. Add reserved pasta water, simmer until sauce thickens about 10 minutes, add spinach and 1/2 the parmesan cheese last 5 minutes
  7. Toss pasta in picatta sauce sprinkle with additional parmesan and Italian parsley
  8. Enjoy!!!!!