Zucchini Pasta

While I'm on a low-fat kick, I might as well share another delicious, low-fat recipe. Again, this came from one of my magazines. I thought it was a really great, easy, meatless meal. My kids even gobbled it up. I've grown a new appreciation for cooking with plain yogurt. It really does make things very creamy without adding tons of extra fat and calories. And, really, you can't tell a difference -- I told my 7 year old it was Fettuccini Alfredo, and she totally bought it! :)

I did change a few things to this one. First of all, I used less zucchini. The original recipe calls for 4 cups of zucchini, which I thought would be too much. My kids scoff at anything even remotely healthy-looking, so I have to disguise it a bit better than 4 cups worth. I used about 2.5 cups, which was perfect. Another thing I changed was I used regular sharp cheddar. I don't really care for the taste of low-fat cheddar cheese.

Also, the sliced garlic may freak you out a bit, but biting into them in this dish is amazing. It really gives a perfectly glorious punch of flavor in your mouth. I don't think the dish would be the same with minced garlic, but you can certainly do it that way if sliced isn't your thing.

Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked linguine
2-3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini (about 3 medium)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook linguine according to package directions. Shred your zucchini, then remove excess moisture (squeeze in a kitchen towel, like you would with spinach, or just put it in a colander and press down). Pat dry.

In a large, non-stick skillet, saute zucchini in oil for 2 minutes. Add garlic, and saute for 1-2 minutes longer, or until zucchini is tender.

Transfer to a large bowl. Add yogurt, cheese, salt and pepper. Drain linguine and add to zucchini mixture. Toss to coat and serve.

Do you use fresh garlic much?
Or are you more of a garlic powder/salt person?