I’ve been on a real pasta kick lately and have been trying to cook recipes that are fairly light considering the weather in Vegas has been around 112+ degrees for the last week or so. This Linguine with Tomatoes, Baby Zucchini, and Herbs fits the bill for a perfect weeknight summer dinner.

Not only is this pasta dish fast to cook, it tastes incredible, especially if you use really ripe and juicy tomatoes. While the sauce may not be cooked, it has a surprising depth of flavour from the acid of the tomatoes, crunch of the zucchini, and the freshness of the herbs. I’m looking forward to buying some more tomatoes at the farmers’ market this week to make another batch. This pasta recipe feeds 4 people at $1.32 a serving.

Linguine with Tomatoes, Baby Zucchini and Herbs
1 pound tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
3 baby zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 small red chile, seeded
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
fresh lemon juice to taste
12 ounces linguine
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Mix together the tomatoes and zucchini in a large bowl. I put the herbs, garlic, chile, salt, and oil into a food processor and whizzed them all together to create a vinaigrette which I then poured over the veggies. I let the tomatoes and zucchini marinate in the dressing while the pasta cooked. I also squeezed in a bit of fresh lemon juice to add a bit of brightness to the sauce.

Cook the linguine al dente, and after draining it, return the pasta to the pot and stir in the veggies and sauce. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese and then plate up the pasta. Top the dish with a little extra Parmesan cheese and get ready to enjoy a truly summer worthy pasta dish.