Summer Pasta
I have this absolutely wonderful friend named Summer Rain and she’s the reason that this blog exists. We live in the same town and share a lot of the same interests, including hiking. When we both have a few spare hours we will meet up and go for a local hike. Although, around here, we consider them “nature walks” since we only usually go a few miles and the hikes are never strenuous. One day when we were hiking Seven Sisters in southern Massachusetts (we do consider Seven Sisters a real hike; it’s a tough one!), we discovered that we were both interested in starting a blog one day. She wanted to start a blog about all things outdoors, and I knew I wanted mine to be focused mostly on cooking healthy food. The more we got to talking about it, the more she really encouraged me to get going on this thing! I don’t think she’s started her blog yet (if she has, she’s kept it under wraps), but I know that when she does it will be amazing.
Needless to say, I knew that when I got my own blog up and running, I would need to create an honorary recipe for my friend. It didn’t take long for me to decide what I would create. Summer Rain LOVES all vegetables, kale especially. She is Italian, and for the first two months we were friends she probably told me every single day how much she was craving pasta. Lastly, she’s not much of a recipe follower. Her cooking style is much more “throw it all in a pot or a sheet pan, cook it, and eat it for five days straight and love every minute of it because I’ve got a healthy meal prepared that I don’t have to think about for the next few days.” Yet another thing that she and I have in common. I was totally reminded of that cooking technique when I made this recipe today.
Now, I don’t have children, but from what I’ve heard on the streets they can be a bit picky when it comes to meal times. If I had children, I would be sneaking them vegetables every chance I got and this recipe is a great way to do so. It’s loaded with all kinds of summer produce, making it flavorful and not too hard on the wallet. I made this sauce earlier today and was eating it with a spoon straight from the pot. Real classy. Did I mention it’s nearing record high heat today in New England? 97 degrees today and I can’t stop eating spoonfuls of this sauce right off the stove. I had to leave my apartment and go to the gym for an hour to force myself to stop eating this sauce. I love it and I can’t wait to eat it for lunch all week in my 55 degree office.
Another paleo and Whole30 meal prep recipe for the win!
Summer Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- Place a large saucepan (I used 6 quart) over medium heat and add the olive or avocado oil. When hot, add the garlic, onion, carrot, and pepper. Stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes until onions begin to turn translucent and carrots begin to soften.
- Add in the ground beef. Break into small pieces and brown, cooking until no pink remains.
- Add zucchini and yellow squash. Stir to combine and cook for 5-7 more minutes, until squashes begin to soften.
- Add sea salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add torn kale and stir. Simmer until kale starts to wilt, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over noodles of choice. Zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash are great Whole30 options. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
