Creamy penne with zucchini and walnuts, a vegetarian recipe that will make your tastebuds go wild. It's easy to prepare, on the table within 20 minutes. Yummy!
During the week, a pasta meal is one of my favorites. Sports, appointments and meetings. Everyone is at home at a different time to eat. Luckily that's not the case for most of the days, but if it happens then this recipe is one of my favorites (see for the tips why).
Zucchini and walnuts may not be a combination that immediately comes to mind, but the delicious pasta recipe is just as good as it gets. Zucchini is baked with onion and thyme, making it absorbs all those wonderful flavors. And in the meantime you cook the penne. The penne is mixed with creme fraiche and parsley (for freshness) and you serve it with Parmesan cheese and chopped walnuts.
Of course those last two can also be added into the dish and mixed through it, but when they are served separately they still are crunchy walnuts and Parmesan shivers. And I'll give you some nice tips:
Because ...
- Slice the zucchini into half moons. When eating you get on your fork a delicious mixture of zucchini with penne and walnuts.
- Cook your pasta al dente (look at the manufacturers manual how to). Then you've got a bite from the pasta and that's delicious in this recipe with the soft zucchini and crunchy walnuts, a beautiful combination.
- If everyone needs to eat at a different time (for sports and other activities), then divide the remaining into ramekins or oven dishes. Add some grated cheese on top and store them in the refrigerator until use. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius.
- If you've got a leftover, let it cool down, store in the refrigerator and you can take it the next day to work as pasta salad.
📖 Variations and substitutes
- Substitute penne with Fusilli. Very delicious. I wouldn't choose spaghetti and macaroni, because they're smalle and therefor this dish would get a different structure. But Fusilli is a great substitute
- Instead of walnuts you can use finely chopped pecans or hazelnuts
Delicious with
- When you're in need for some meat or you want a salty accent add some fried bacon.
- And for the vegetarian that's in need for extra flavor add sliced sundried tomatoes, they're delicious. Tomato and zucchini is always a good combination.
⏲️ What to do with left overs?
- Because you can make it so fast and simple make it fresh!
- You can store the pasta, after you cooled it down fast, cover it with plastic foil and store up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
🥘 Other delicious recipes
Penne with zucchini and walnuts
This recipe is:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 red onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 large zucchini sliced and halved.
- 400 grams Penne
- 4 tablespoons walnuts coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 125 ml crème fraîche
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan with butter and oil until hot.
- Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until translucent.
- Mix the thyme and zucchini with the onion.
- Reduce heat to low put the lid on the pan, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a large pot filled with boiling water, boil the penne according to the manufacturer's instructions until al dente.
- Drain and mix with sour cream and parsley.
- Then mix the zucchini mixture through.
- Serve immediately with the walnut and Parmesan cheese as a side.
Leave a Reply