I invented sauce; a peach army gathers

The idea for this spicy "zucchini sauce" came to me this morning while I walked to work at the record store - I thought that shredded zucchini could be seasoned and sauteed until it shed enough water to become a semi-cohesive sauce. And this is exactly what happened! It turned out perfectly.




Penne with spicy zucchini sauce
serves two
2 cups dry penne
1/2 tbsp Earth Balance
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-large zucchini, shredded (maybe 4 cups?)
1 shallot, diced super-finely
1 large or two small cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste
optional: rough-chopped kalamata olives, diced tomatoes, feta/goat cheese

Cook penne according to package directions; drain and set aside (do not rinse).
Saute diced shallot until completely softened but do not brown. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini and stir immediately, to stop garlic and shallot from browning; add salt (I used three grinds on my salt grinder) and continue stirring. Saute uncovered, stirring frequently, until zucchini begins to shed water, about five minutes. Cover and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until zucchini is completely softened. Saute another minute or two uncovered to evaporate any excess liquid; add pasta, stir to combine, and divide onto two plates. Top with optional olives, tomatoes, and/or feta.


I'm on round two of freezing peaches; this photo of my little faux-flash-freezing setup makes my peach segments look like a futuristic army laying in wait in a cryogenic metal chamber. Fingers crossed that not heeding the advice of every single source I found on the internet that I absolutely have to use sugar when freezing peaches turns out alright.