Summer Garden Pasta - Everyday Annie

Well, the three day weekend had to come to an end sometime, right? I hope you all had a great weekend and enjoyed an extra day off! We didn’t do much in the way of organized activities but mostly stayed home enjoying time with the kids. Unfortunately I spent a large portion of my time studying for the mother of all exams, so my extended weekend didn’t carry quite the appeal it normally does. Even so, I did get to have a bit of extra time in the kitchen and I am very grateful for that!

I have quite a few new recipes I can’t wait to share with you, but I thought I would share this one from the weekend first. I can tell our garden is starting to fade and the harvests are starting to dwindle. This weekend I brought in a nice sized zucchini, handfuls of cherry tomatoes, and we had some local sweet corn from our produce delivery. This dish was made up on the fly to clear my head after a long study session, and we absolutely loved the way it turned out. Plus, I added bacon. Bacon makes everything better, right? This quick pasta dish is a perfect way to use up some of that late summer produce you might have hanging around.

Yield 4-6 servings

Ingredients

12 oz. pasta shapes
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced thin
2 cobs fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut off
1 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup diced yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup veggie or chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp. snipped fresh chives
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
Shaved Parmesan, for serving

Directions

01
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
02
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or skillet (I used cast iron), cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate, reserving 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease in the skillet. Add the zucchini and corn kernels to the pan and sauté until crisp-tender and warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove to a separate plate or bowl.
03
In the same skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until beginning to soften, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds more, just until fragrant. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and let simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half, approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
04
Add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss well to coat. Stir in the chives, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and bacon. Serve immediately with shaved Parmesan, if desired.