Last night was one of those nights when I had no fresh vegetables other than a lone zucchini, and absolutely no urge to go to the grocery store. I knew I had to get creative to make dinner. We also had little bit of Delallo Bruschetta Topping we bought in Captiva last weekend. This bruschetta topping, by the way, was delicious if you happen across it! Anyway, I used the oil from the bruschetta instead of plain olive oil. I also had about a tablespoon of goat cheese left from a chicken roulade that I made the other day.

I combined all this and a few other things from my pantry, and it turned out to be really good.

Anything Goes Pasta Recipe

1/2 pound penne pasta
1 tbsp olive oil (or if you happen to have bruschetta topping, use that oil!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium size zucchini, cubed
1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c roasted red peppers, chopped
1 tbsp prepared pesto sauce
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp goat cheese (optional, but very good)
Squeeze of lime juice (optional)
sprinkle of parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne when the water is boiling. With a pyrex measuring cup or coffee cup, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, before you strain the pasta. Strain pasta when it is al dente.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a saute pan with the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Now add the zucchini and toss until almost tender. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and pesto and toss to heat through.

3. Pour the strained pasta and the contents of the saute pan into the pasta pot. Add the fresh basil, goat cheese, salt and pepper and stir adding as much pasta water necessary to make a creamy sauce. I also added a squeeze of lime juice, which played very nicely with the tangy goat cheese. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Great eaten as a meal, or topped with grilled chicken breast.

Makes 2 Servings