Too Much Zucchini - Two Yummy Recipes

Last week at Trader Joes, I purchased a container full of zucchini.  There was way more of the obnoxious vegetable than I realized.  I've been trying to use it up ever since.  Here are two recipes to get rid of zucchini.  (For those of you with gardens, you may want to file these away for the summer season!)

Linguine with Clam and Tomato Sauce

This is a very easy, quick meal.  It gives a hint of seafood without the price tag.  We paired it with fresh artichokes that the Potter's brought back from Gilroy.

There are two types of traditional Italian clam sauce, one with and one without tomatoes.  This version can be made with canned or fresh clams.  I used canned clams.

Ingredients

2 lb fresh clams or 12 oz canned clams, with liquid

6 T olive oil

1 - 2 cloves garlic, crushed

14 oz canned or fresh tomatoes, finely chopped

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

4 T chopped parsley

black pepper to taste

1lb linguine

Directions

1.  Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan with the garlic.  Cook until garlic is just golden.  Discard garlic. In the meantime, begin cooking the pasta.

2. Add chopped tomato and zucchini to the oil.  Pour in the clam liquid.  Mix well and cook over low to moderate heat until the sauce begins to dry out and thicken slightly.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. A minute or two before the pasta is ready, stir in the clams and parsley into the tomato sauce, and

 raise the heat.  Pour the hot sauce over the drained pasta and mix well.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread - To die for!

Ingredients:

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

3 eggs

2 C sugar

1 C vegetable oil

2 C grated zucchini

1 t vanilla

2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t ground cinnamon

3/4 C semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.

2.  Melt chocolate in microwave.

3.  Combine eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla and chocolate.  Beat well.  Stir in flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Fold in chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yummy!