Monday, September 13, 2010

Meatless Monday - Zucchini Fettuccine

Day 64

Doesn't this look yummy? What if I told you Hubby called this, "the weirdest dinner I've ever had," would you still want to try it? I have to admit that I, too, was pulled in by a delicious-looking pile of pasta on the pages of Food Network magazine.

As you know, I've been in a little bit of a Cooking Light and pasta rut on Meatless Mondays, so I was anxious to try something completely different. I'm a new reader of Food Network magazine so figured it was a natural fit for my next subscription. I am obsessed with the network; I watch all the shows and immediately download and print off recipes I can't wait to try, so why not give its sister publication a go?

I pulled a handful of recipes from the September issue and could not wait to try this zucchini dish, which I thought would be the perfect way to feel like I was eating pasta without all the guilt. I mean, it's zucchini cut into strips and salted to bend and look like pasta. How fun!

I was excited to break out the mandoline for the first time, but after a few attempts and near-miss finger amputations, I decided to go with the vegetable peeler instead. I was already not a fan of this dish. Too much work and too much mess! Although, thankfully, that mess did not include a fingertip since I decided to use the peeler rather than the mandoline. I lost my motivation and commitment to giving this a real college try. I don't even know how I made the sauce, but I know I didn't do much more than stir all the remaining ingredients together. Funny enough, the sauce was the best part of the dish. You can't beat the flavors of fresh basil and garlic, and the jalapeƱo gave it a nice, subtle kick.

I was probably most disappointed because I have an, admittedly, weird thing where I don't like cold dinners. I need something hot and hearty to feel satisfied at the end of the day. This was just a pile of cold noodles that weren't fooling anyone. Foodles, more like it. Hubby was trying to be positive, bless his heart, while I was completely over the meal before it began. He suggested making this as a side dish or salad, which in hindsight, makes more sense than serving it as a main course. Oh, well. Frankly, this may be the first recipe that doesn't make it back into my binder.

My Grade: C+
Hubby's Grade: B/B-
Recipe: http://bit.ly/bI8X48

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