Currently, I’m in the North Fork of Long Island, spending the weekend with our friends Nik and Regina.
I have never been to the North Fork before and now, I wish I had been there sooner! It’s gorgeous, romantic and quaint.
The North Fork has over 40 vineyards, so we took advantage yesterday and visited a couple of them. I loved Croteaux – the rose was delicious (and who doesn’t appreciate some rose.)
After visiting the vineyards, I couldn’t help but think of today’s post (which I’m writing now, as I wait for the crew to wake up.)
This pasta is one of those ones that has a rich, creamy taste without that heavy feeling that comes with it.
The tomato sauce is thickened lovingly with goat cheese. Goat cheese doesn’t melt fully, so it maintains its flavor and velvety texture.
Let’s just say that this would be the perfect meal to have with a nice glass of rose or Sauvignon Blanc.
The shaved asparagus adds an earthiness to the dish and a nice boost of texture.
Last night, we went to a farmer’s market, a fish market and a cheese shop to pick up some local items for dinner.
Now THAT’S local living.
I made an olive-caper lemon sauce for the striped bass we bought (caught locally, of course), Regina assembled a bomb cheese plate, I made some goat cheese and pesto stuffed sweet peppers. I also made a dijon mustard-oregano sauce for the fingerling potatoes before Nik grilled them. Then, of course, we grilled fresh veggies – onions and zucchini.
I am SO bummed, because I forgot my Inspiralizer and I was going to bring it this weekend to make dinner or breakfast. Hmph.
We’re leaving in a few hours to head back to Jersey City and already, I miss this place.
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers PointsPlus*: 7 points
*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers PointsPlus® calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.
Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta with Goat Cheese and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large clove of garlic minced
- 1/3 cup diced red onions
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juices
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 large asparagus spears
- 2 medium zucchinis
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil + more to garnish
- 2 oz goat cheese
- red pepper flakes to garnish
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil heats, add in the garlic and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until onions start to soften and become translucent.
- Add in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- While sauce cooks, spiralize the zucchinis and shave the asparagus by peeling it into strips with a vegetable peeler. Keep the asparagus tips for future use and toss the remaining asparagus stalks. You can also include the asparagus tips, if you’d like, but I didn’t.
- Once sauce is done, place another large skillet over medium-high heat and once heated, add in the zucchini noodles and asparagus. Let cook for 2-3 minutes or until al dente.
- While zucchini cooks, add in the basil to the tomato sauce and stir for 1 minute. Then, remove from heat and stir in the goat cheese.
- When noodles are done, add to the pan with the sauce and toss to combine (alternately, you can combine both in a large mixing bowl and toss that way, if you don’t have a wide enough skillet to accommodate the noodles.)
- Divide the pasta mixture into bowls, top with remaining goat cheese and garnish with extra basil and red pepper flakes.
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