Meatless Monday Penne with Roasted Zucchini

Meatless Monday caught my attention earlier this year; however, as skilled as I am in the kitchen, my experience with meatless menus is essentially non-existent. I'm married to a man who grew up on a dairy farm, and as the daughter of a hog farmer myself, vegetarianism isn't exactly on my radar. But the idea of dedicating one meal a week to food that doesn't involve meat seemed like an interesting challenge.

I've crafted a few meatless meals in the past year, mostly by modifying old standbys. Honestly, once the excitement ebbed after the first couple week, I've been a half-hearted participant in the movement. Some weeks it just seemed like too much trouble to think of something new, other times I just wanted to enjoy the original recipe, but one way or another, Meatless Monday became Meatless Monthly in the Ray household.

Slay Energy Vampires! has recently rekindled my interest in Meatless Monday. I've read posts about Baba Ganoush, Eggplant Parmesan, and an ad-libbed stir fry, all complete with enticing photos and detailed instructions. Justin inspired me to give it another chance, and remarkably, I actually enjoyed Meatless Monday this week. Instead of modifying one of my favorites, I invented my own vegetarian meal, which turned out to be a much better plan. And while I still can't promise I'll make it happen every week, I think I might have discovered my first standby for Meatless Mondays yet to come.

Here's what you need to enjoy a delicious meat-free meal:

2 healthy zucchinis (together they should weigh close to 2 lbs)

12 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

3 shallots, halved and sliced

1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb uncooked penne pasta

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and bring a large stock pot filled with water to a boil (in preparation for your pasta). Trim the ends of the zucchini, then slice into thin rounds -- no more than 1/4 inch thick. Place zucchini, smashed garlic, shallots slice, crushed red pepper flakes and about 4 tbsps of olive oil into a large bowl and toss. Then pour everything onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes. Zucchini should be tender and literally fall off a fork when it's ready.

Hopefully your water is at a full boil at this point, and you can cook the penne (according to package directions) while the veggies roast. Just before you remove the penne from the stove to drain, reserve 1 ladle-full of pasta water in a separate dish.

If everything runs smoothly, your zucchini should be ready about the same time the penne comes off the stove. Return the penne to the stock pot (over low heat), then add the roasted zucchini, garlic, and shallots to the pot as well,, making sure to pour any remaining olive oil from the baking sheet into the pot. Add the reserved pasta water, fresh basil, and shredded parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste (as usual, I go easy with the salt and heavy-handed with the pepper, which is freshly ground, of course). Toss in the stock pot, then transfer to a large, warm dish. You should be able to serve 4-6, depending on their appetites. This dish tastes great with garlic bread and a Caesar salad (but skip the anchovies so you don't ruin Meatless Monday!).