Zucchini Linguine With Fresh Mozzarella

You may have already guessed the inspiration for this recipe, leftover fresh mozzarella. Loving the milky quality of water packed mozzarella, a mild flavor was what I had expected it to taste like on pasta. It was very milky and mild and it worked well with the delicate flavor of the squash. I added a sprinkle of red pepper for a little zip and decided this would be a a recipe worth repeating in the summer, because of the fresh taste. Adding some whole, Sungold, cherry tomatoes towards the end of sauteing the zucchini would certainly brighten up the color, warm the tomatoes, and the acid would make a nice contrast in taste too. I'll have to try that next time.

Ingredients:

1 lb. linguine

1 medium zucchini

extra virgin olive oil

1/2t ground red pepper

fresh mozzarella

salt to taste

Directions:

Put a pot of water on the stove top to boil for the pasta and while it is heating up, thinly slice the zucchini. Place a film of olive oil in a saute pan or skillet over medium heat and saute the zucchini until cooked through. Adding salt at this time will help the zucchini to loose moisture and cook faster. When the pasta is fully cooked, add it to the zucchini and fold them together off the heat, adding a few more drizzles of olive oil for a fresh olive oil taste. Sprinkle with red pepper and check to see if more salt is needed, then add in chopped mozzarella. Give it a few stirs to incorporate the mozzarella, then plate and serve.