Zucchini & Carrot Sauté

Coming up with new ways to fix vegetables has always been a challenge to me. I’ve always loved zucchini baked, grilled or stuffed but I was stuck on how to create something new. My inspiration came from a side dish I had while eating at Carrabba’s Italian Grill. It’s a wonderful combination of zucchini, and sweet carrots balanced by the acidity of plum tomatoes and the tang of garlic. It just feels good in your mouth and enhances any dish that it’s served with.

Ingredients

2 tsp Olive Oil

2 medium Zucchini (julienned ¼ inch) *

2 Lg Carrots (julienned 1/8 inch)

2 Cloves Garlic (minced)

28oz Can Whole Plum Tomatoes (drained)

¼ C Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 TBS Fresh Parsley (chopped) *

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut the ends off of the zucchini and julienne them into ¼ by ¼ by 2 inch pieces. The easiest way to do this is with a mandolin. Try to cut the as evenly as possibly to ensure that they all cook at the same time. Next julienne the carrots 1/8 by 1/8 by 2 inches long, about the size of a long match stick.

Drain the plum tomatoes and roughly chop them into small chunks. Mince the garlic and chop the parsley.

Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan with a cover. Add the carrots and cook them for 5 minutes with the cover on, stirring frequently. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic – stir frequently. Continue to sauté until the zucchini and carrots are tender crisp. Add the parmesan and parsley. Taste for salt and pepper. The amount of salt will vary according to the saltiness of the cheese.

NOTE: Get out your ruler for this dish!

* Pronto Substitutes

Zucchini – If you prefer you can substitute yellow squash for zucchini. 

Fresh Parsley – You can substitute 2 teaspoons of dried parsley for the 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Zucchini & Carrot Sauté.