I’m normally not a fan of pastas like this. There isn’t a sauce that saturates all the noodles so you really have to work at creating the perfect bite with all the ingredients. It’s also a bear to mix together because all of the fun stuff just wants to hang out at the bottom of the pot. It was hard for me to judge how much I liked the pasta until half of the spaghetti on my plate was eaten. Verdict? YUM!
All of the leftover zucchini, raisins & nuts on my plate tasted wonderful! We got a little fancy and topped our pasta mounds with some white truffle oil. It brought out the earthy flavors of the nuts & Parmesan cheese. Good call, Casey. If you’re a walnut & raisin fan like Cooper, you’re in for a real treat! He was begging for more plump golden raisins & toasted walnuts. Two out out two boys in this household approve. Which makes the only mom/wife/cook in this household thrilled.
Let’s get started!
Gather your ingredients! Get your pasta boiling on the stove!
Chop your nuts & measure out your golden raisins. MMM raisins.
While your pasta is cooking, chop up the zucchini.
Thinly slice your garlic. How cute is this teeny mandolin?
Heat olive oil in a pan and add the chopped walnuts. Get them slightly brown.
Now add in your garlic and saute until soft.
It’s zucchini & golden raisin time! Cook until the zucchini softens.
Add the zucchini mixture to your pasta. Start stirring like a mofo.
Dump in a ton of Parmesan cheese. The more, the merrier!
Keep stirring!
Now plate it up! Add some Parmesan on top!
If you wanna be extra fancy like us, top it with some white truffle oil!
We added a ton to ours!
Spaghetti with Zucchini, Walnuts & Raisins
(recipe adapted from Real Simple Magazine)
- 12 oz. spaghetti (I used Barilla Plus. It’s good!)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 lbs. small zucchini (about 4-5) cut into thin half moons
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (but who really measures that? Add a lot!)
- white truffle oil (optional)
Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain & return to the pot.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic & cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, about 1 minute.
Add the zucchini and golden raisins to the skillet, season with salt & pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until the zucchini is just tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle with more Parmesan before serving. Add a few glugs of white truffle oil on top! Devour!
