Cherry Tomato Zucchini Pasta

This is one of my favorite dishes to make!  A few years ago I remember watching a Rachel Rae episode where she made this quick, sweet pasta sauce from cherry tomatoes and just a few ingredients.  I love a quick pasta sauce recipe! It’s key though to use fresh cherry tomatoes because they are much sweeter than a regular tomato.  Trying to find a store bought paleo-ish pasta sauce is hard to find and I get tired of the same old heavy pasta sauce.  This sauce is great because it's very light but full of flavor. 

 

Even though Rachel Ray sways from the paleo lieftyle she holds a special place in my heart. As silly as it souns Rachel Ray was a huge influence in my love for cooking. She is a bit rough around the edges but very easy to relate to. In high school I would always watch her show and recreate her girl-on-the-run recipes.

 

Ingredients

·         1-2 cups of cherry tomatoes

·         2-3 garlic cloves, minced

·         ½-1 tablespoons of red pepper flakes

·         1 very large zucchini

·         2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

·         Fresh basil

·         Spicy Chicken Sausage

 

Directions

I first began by cooking the chicken sausage until fully cooked.  I used that same pan afterwards with the left over goodness from the chicken sausage and dumped in the cherry tomatoes whole.  I let them soften for a few minutes with the red pepper flakes and olive oil.  I used about a tablespoon which is pretty spicy! 

After tomatoes have softened take a potato masher and lightly mash the tomatoes. Keep in mind to keep them intact. Simmer tomatoes with the minced garlic until flavors combine and tomatoes are mushy and sweet.

 

Meantime, I used a julienne slicer to quickly slice through my zucchini.  I like having long strips of the zucchini.  Toss the zucchini strips in with the sauce and simmer for just a few minutes.  Return chicken sausage back to pan, stir, top with basil and serve!