Pasta with Caramelized Zucchini

Step 1

Melt the butter and oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, garlic, basil stems, and half of the basil leaves. Season with 1¼ tsp salt and add black pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the zucchini has released its liquid. Uncover and cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until the liquid has started to cook off.

Step 2

Continue to cook the zucchini for another 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to about 1 cup in volume. If the zucchini starts sticking to the pan, add a few tbsp of water and use it to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any brown bits.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water, and then drain the pasta.

Step 4

Remove the basil stems from the zucchini. Add the pasta, 1 cup of pasta water, and the parmesan cheese to the pot with the zucchini. Lower the heat to medium and stir to combine until the zucchini sauce coats the pasta. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Stir in the remaining basil and serve immediately.