Family Style Pasta with a Zucchini Marinara

The other night I was feeling a bit under the weather and Elliott made me a pasta I couldn't refuse. It was a simple marinara made with zucchini, white wine, and tons of garlic. Paired with a showing of The Godfather II, it was the perfect meal to get me up and running again.


Even though a pasta sauce straight from the jar is an easy solution for those with tight schedules, making your own sauce takes about 30 minutes to prepare and really only uses a few staple ingredients. It's a great use for older vegetables and you can make it as garlicky or spicy as you like it. We think that once you taste the difference, you'll never go back to store-bought again.

Ingredients:
1 32. oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 half of a yellow onion, chopped
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
2 large zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
Red pepper flakes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Sauté the onion in some olive oil until translucent. Add the zucchini and brown slightly with the onion. In the last few minutes, add the garlic and heat until golden. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the can of tomatoes. Add red pepper flakes and if you like, just a pinch of sugar. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes or until all the flavors come together. Salt and pepper to taste. Elliott likes to turn off the heat and stir in a healthy splash of olive oil to add some richness, cut the acidity and make the sauce glisten - that's right, pasta sauce ought to glisten!

Serve over your favorite pasta with a pile of Parmesan on top.