So I made this in the spring and am now just getting around to posting it.  This recipe is really great because it uses a bunch of ingredients from your garden like basil, tomatoes and zucchini.  You can’t really see my zucchini in the picture because I used a yellow/orange zucchini but it turned out just as good.  But of course you can make this any time of the year and just get the ingredients at the store.  The sauce is light with a little bit of lemon.  I added parmesan cheese to add a little bit of extra flavor and whole wheat pasta.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb (or 8 oz) fettuccine
• 1 medium zucchini
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 10 ounces grape tomatoes (about 2 cups)
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 3-4 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3 ounces fat-free cream cheese
• 1 cup very loosely packed basil, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, more if desired

Instructions:

Prepare a pot of water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Cut ends off zucchini and slice along the long direction, cutting the zucchini into about ⅛ inch slices.  Cut each of those slices into long pieces, about the same size as the fettuccine (see photos above for explanation).  Set zucchini aside.

Heat a medium size skillet to medium heat.  When hot, add 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Add tomatoes and give them a little sprinkle of kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Just until they start to burst and look blistered.  Remove tomatoes from pan and place in a small dish, covered, and set aside.
Add another 1 teaspoon olive oil to the empty pan and add garlic.  Stir constantly on medium-low heat for about 30-60 seconds.  Add chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  Simmer for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low.

Place cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and soften for 20-30 seconds, until it can be easily stirred smooth.  Ladle in a couple spoonfuls of the chicken broth mixture into the cream cheese and stir to combine.  Once the mixture is smooth, add it to the pan with the remaining broth mixture and whisk until smooth and creamy. Add chopped basil and lemon juice and stir to combine.  Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.  (Lemon lovers can also squeeze in extra lemon juice at this point.)
When pasta is just about done, add zucchini strips to pot (so they’re cooking with the pasta).  Boil for about 2 minutes, or until tender.  Drain zucchini and pasta and combine with sauce.  Gently toss in tomatoes, or simply add them on top of each serving. Garnish with additional basil if desired.

Nutrition Facts (for main dish, ¼ of recipe): 286 calories, 5 grams fat.
Recipe by Our Best Bites