Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta with Goat Cheese and Asparagus

Currently, I’m in the North Fork of Long Island, spending the weekend with our friends...

Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta with Goat Cheese and Asparagus

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.

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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.)

Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta with Goat Cheese and Asparagus

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Inspiralized

Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta with Goat Cheese and Asparagus

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 2

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.

 

with love, Ali

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Recipe Rating




comments

  • All my favorites in one recipe! Can't wait to try it.
  • I'm just going to have to get a spirilizer. This recipe is absolutely delicious. I love goats cheese and asparagus. Thanks for a fab post. Sammie http://www.feastingisfun.com
  • I used truffle goat cheese...SO good!
  • What would you think about cooking the noodles and asparagus in the sauce, making it a one-pot meal? Do you think the noodles would get too mushy? Your weekend in Long Island sounds divine! I'd love to see pictures, since I've never visited that area either. And I am astonished that you forgot your Inspiralizer! Ha!
  • You should have checked out the Harvest East end festival this weekend on the North Fork! Literally every vineyard on the island was there and about 40 east-end restaurants. They give you a wine glass and you literally get to try wines from all the vineyards and every restaurant offers 1-2 tasting bites of their food. It was the definition of "happy place" for a food and wine lover haha
  • I made this dish last night and it was amazing. I added 2 links of hot italian chicken sausage (uncased) and cooked them in the pan before I added the zucchini and asparagus. Its a great addition for anyone looking to add protein into the dish. This dish was quick and delicious and I plan on eating the leftovers for lunch. I love your recipes. Thank you!
    • What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
  • Why is the carb count so high? Trying to figure out where the carbs/sugars are coming from.
  • This was SO good! I added about 3/4 tsp of Penzey's 'Italian Seasoning' to the simmering tomato mixture, and omitted the crushed red peppers at the end. Your timing suggestion was perfect: all the liquid had evaporated from the tomato sauce when the "buzzer" went off at 22 mins! The goat cheese was a nice change. I didn't happen to have any fresh asparagus, so I briefly cooked a handful of baby spinach with the spiralized zucchini. No excess moisture there either, so this wasn't a soupy dish! It's cooler than usual here in Mich, so we really enjoyed it. Thanks ~ ruth
  • So you cook the zucchini noodles without water?
    • Yes! I discourage people from boiling their zucchini noodles - they become wilted and unappetizing!
  • I made this for dinner tonight. I added chicken, let it simmer with the tomatoes while the sauce reduced. Delicious!
  • My boyfriend and I got a spiralizer and we decided to make this dish our first recipe! We absolutely loved it!So simple yet decadent. The sauce is to die for. We doubled the batch because we knew we'd want more. The asparagus ribbons are a great touch. I would recommend this to anybody. It's also very filling. Thank you!
    • I'm so happy to hear it!! Thanks for sharing with your hubs :)
  • This is quite tasty! Thanks for the recipe.
    • Thank you for giving it a try, Caroline. We're glad you enjoyed it.
  • I just used my spiralizer for the first time with this recipe, and it's absolutely one of my favorite things I've ever made! I love it! I am hosting a dinner party and a few of the guests aren't goat cheese fans (I know I know it's awful) would there be any other cheese you would recomend for this recipe?
  • Hey, I am contemplating trying whole30, so researching a lot of recipes and trying to get a good stock of meal plans before taking a jump off the deep end. Would lacing out the cheese make a whole lot of difference? Or is there a substitute I can use. I live in Kolkata,India so not a lot of options here.
  • This was delicious! Thank you for such a fantastic recipe. I wanted authentic spaghetti and meatballs so bad, but didn't want the carbs or the calories. This was a fantastic substitute. I couldn't believe I was eating such a delicious HEALTHY meal. Will make again and again. Thanks a lot!
    • That's so great to hear, Lottie! Thanks for giving the recipe a shot.
  • Thanks for sharing this amazing article. I have been also referring to https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/ for everything related to pregnancy and babies, and it is quite useful. Hope this helps your readers as well.