Culinary Guides

A lighter take on spaghetti that leans on the last of the summer zucchini. Spiralized zucchini noodles stand in for pasta under a rich tomato and mushroom meat sauce, so it stays quick enough for a weeknight but still feels like comfort food.

Ingredients

For the meat sauce

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or your favorite
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

For the zucchini noodles

• 3 to 4 medium zucchini, spiralized
• Freshly grated Parmesan
• Minced fresh parsley for serving

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in the same skillet and cook the mushrooms until tender and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Return the beef to the pan, pour in the tomato sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
4. While it simmers, spiralize the zucchini. A julienne peeler works if you do not have a spiralizer.
5. Add the zucchini noodles to the sauce and toss to coat. Cook about 5 minutes, just until heated through. Do not overcook them or they turn soft.
6. Divide between bowls and top with Parmesan and parsley. Serve right away.

Grower's tip: the best zoodles come from young zucchini picked at 6 to 8 inches, before the seeds develop and the flesh turns watery. If a fruit gets away from you and grows huge, scoop out the seedy core before spiralizing.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to two days. For a vegetarian version, skip the beef and let the mushrooms carry the sauce.

Grow the fresh part of this dish yourself. A couple of plants from our zucchini seeds and tomato seeds will keep you in noodles and sauce all summer, with parsley for the finish.