I’m getting creative with all of the ways I’m trying to use yellow squash from the garden. This recipe might be my favorite. But can we, just for a second, give yellow summer squash a little glory? They are kind of an unsung hero nutritionally. They’re packed with vitamins A, C, and B6. They are rich in manganese, which helps the body’s ability to process fats and carbohydrates (see, basically cancels out the bacon and pasta 😉 ) It has folate, riboflavin, phosphorous, and tons of potassium. It’s also pretty high in water content making it low in calories. So YES, I am gonna get my kids to eat this however I can.
In this recipe I used my food processor to finely grate the squash. When it is done this way it looks exactly like cheese. It looks so much like cheese, that not one of my kids asked what was in the pasta. If they didn’t ask, then I didn’t have to do any convincing. They ate it all! Only one kid, at the very end, (my oldest) figured it out.
It’s creamy and delicious and packed with tons of flavor. I used organic gragnano pasta that I got in a pack at Costco, but I have also done this recipe with mini farfalle and I would recommend that too. Oh, my Italian seasoning I have to mention! I bought it from an Ohio company called Rosebud’s. They have amazing clean spice mixes. I’m a huge fan!
Tip: 1. Make sure your let the squash sit on a paper towel after its been grated. Squashes are 95% water! Some of that needs to come out or your sauce will be too watery.
2. Don’t like bacon? I’ve also done it with chicken and it was just as good!
Sneaky Summer Squash and Bacon Pasta
Description
Summer squash pasta with bacon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook 12 oz pasta according to package directions.
- Grate 1 yellow squash and place onto paper towel. Try to absorb some water with a top paper towel and a little pressure. Let sit for 5 min.
- Meanwhile, place chopped bacon into a large pan and cook til crisp. Add chopped garlic and olive oil into the pan.
- Stir until garlic is starts to brown. Add grated squash and cook for another minute.
- Add butter and milk, stir and bring to a low boil. (If you want a little thicker sauce, add 2 tablespoons of flour to your milk before pouring it into the pan.)
- Add Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir to prevent sticking often. Once the sauce is thickened add pasta to pan. Stir to combine.
- Add fresh parsley and remaining Parmesan cheese to serve.
