Zucchini squashes are back in season; they come in all shapes, colors and sizes and, when fresh, have a lovely natural sweetness to them.You could make this dish with fresh mushrooms and tomatoes, but I like both the chewiness of the dried ones as well as the sweet flavor of the tomatoes when dried. The fresh herbs round out the flavors nicely and make this a wonderful pasta dish.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cup of zucchini squash, cut into small bite size chunks
- 1/4 cup dry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of soysauce
- 1/2 bundle of parsley
- 2 sprigs of marjoram (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 sprigs of thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 sprig of oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 cup of white wine
- Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
- Freshly graded parmesan (optional)
- Pasta (I used brown rice pasta in this dish, but any pasta will be fine)
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation:
- Cut dried tomatoes into small chunks, I use my poultry shears to do it; works very well
- Boil water and pour over mushrooms and tomatoes (separate containers), cover and let sit for 10 minutes, drain liquid. You can save a bit of the tomato water in case you need extra liquid for the dish, do not use the mushroom water.
- Chop all other ingredients
- Boil water for pasta, add pasta when ready
- Heat oil in large pan over medium heat, add garlic and onion, saute for 3-4 minutes
- Add zucchini, saute for 5 minutes
- Add mushrooms, tomatoes and herbs - save a tablespoon of parsley for garnish, saute for a couple of minutes
- Ad white wine, soysauce, salt and pepper, cover pan and cook over low to medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes, until zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes are done (remember the mushrooms and tomatoes will stay chewy!) Add tomato water if you need more liquid.
- Mix with pasta, garnish with remaining parsley and top with grated parmesan.
- Serve as main or side dish.
Bon Appetit!