Summer Spaghetti
Summer is the season of fresh produce and refreshing meals. As the temperatures rise, it's the perfect time to put a seasonal spin on classic comfort food.
Today, I'm sharing my recipe for Summer Spaghetti that combines the goodness of traditional meatballs and sauce with a healthy twist. We'll be making fresh, homemade pasta and swapping half of the pasta with zucchini and using fresh cherry tomatoes for the sauce.
Overview:
Step 1: Turkey Meatballs
Mix up turkey meatballs with fresh parsley and crushed red pepper.
Step 2: Zucchini Tagliatelle
Combine homemade pasta with thin ribbons of zucchini for freshness.
Step 3: Fresh Sauce
Saute sweet cherry tomatoes with shallots and garlic.
Step 5: Assemble
Top with fresh cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, herbs, and crushed red pepper.
Knead to Know
1 egg per person for pasta
The trick to knowing how much pasta to make for the number of people you have is 1 egg + 100 grams of flour per person. In this recipe, since we are subbing out half of the pasta for zucchini, we are only making two servings of pasta for four people.
Knead to Know
Cooking in the Sauce
The secret to turning fresh herbs and vegetables into a light sauce is to finish cooking the pasta in the sauce with a laddle full of pasta water (or about 1/2 C). The pasta water has starchiness from the pasta which melds with the other ingredients to thicken and coat the pasta.
Recipe:
Summer Spaghetti: A Refreshing Twist on Classic Comfort Food
Yield: 4 servings
Difficulty: Fun Project
Time: 2.5 hours prep to table
Homemade pasta, fresh tomatoes, and mouthwatering turkey meatballs. This pasta dish swaps 50% of the noodles for zucchini and is bursting with fresh flavor.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
1 lb. Ground turkey
1 egg
1/3 C Panko or bread crumbs
1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 clove minced fresh garlic
1 tsp. anise seed (optional, gives a more Italian sausage taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta:
50 g Semolina
50 g 00 flour
1 egg
SAuce:
2 finely chopped shallots
1 clove pressed garlic
3 T olive oil
1.5 pounds quartered cherry tomatoes + extra for topping
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and/or fresh basil + extra for topping
Crushed red pepper to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan
Method
Step 1:
Prepare the Turkey Meatballs
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs.
Using two spoons or a cookie scoop, shape the mixture into small balls.
Brush the meatballs with olive oil and bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees or until cooked through.
Step 2:
Prepare the Zucchini Tagliatelle
To make it lighter and healthier, we will replace 50% of the pasta with zucchini before serving.
Combine the flours in a bowl and create a well in the center.
Crack the egg into the well and whisk it gently with a fork.
Gradually incorporate the flour into the egg until a dough forms.
Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rest for 30 minutes, then roll it out using a pasta machine to setting 6.
Cut the pasta into tagliatelle using the machine's cutter attachment.
Let the freshly made pasta dry on a semolina-lined baking sheet.
Step 3:
Prepare the Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce
In a skillet, sauté the shallots in olive oil until they become translucent.
Lower the heat and add the pressed garlic and quartered cherry tomatoes.
Simmer the mixture until the tomatoes soften and form a light sauce.
Step 4:
Assemble the Summer Spaghetti
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook the pasta until it floats or is just barely done, which should take around 2 minutes for fresh pasta.
Use a sieve to scoop the pasta into the skillet with the tomato sauce. Add a ladle of pasta water to help create a delicious sauce. Stir the pasta and let it cook in the sauce to absorb all the wonderful flavors.
Meanwhile, prepare the zucchini by shaving it into ribbons using a vegetable peeler or a spiralizer.
Place the zucchini in a colander and pour the hot pasta water over it to lightly cook it. Drain the zucchini immediately and add it to the finished pasta.
Once the Summer Spaghetti is ready, top it with the reserved fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped herbs like parsley and basil, shreds of Parmesan cheese, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper to your taste.
Hope you love it!
Next time you're in the mood for a comforting yet refreshing meal, give this Summer Spaghetti a try. Let me know if you try this! Check out my original Instagram post here.
