Confetti Vegetable Sauce with Zucchini, Squash & Red Pepper

I’ve been keeping something from you.

More than a year ago, I was hanging out in Italy. Mostly just eating, but sometimes cooking. Obviously, my life tends to revolve around food as it is, but my fixation was only exacerbated by being in a place where food serves as a language of its own.

The point is, I learned how to make this really amazing, really simple sauce, and then I proceeded to not share the recipe with anyone for more than a year. My host in Pisa taught me how to make this sauce. That’s right; you’re looking at a real Italian recipe from a real Italian person.

Once you make it, I imagine you’ll forgive me. Basically everything in here is easily substituted, too. Try it with eggplant. Try it with sour cream. Try it without any dairy at all. Then, let me know how it turned out!

Confetti Vegetable Sauce:
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 zucchini, grated
1 squash, grated
1 red pepper, grated
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
salt & pepper, to taste
your favorite pasta, cooked and drained

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add zucchini, squash and red pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until most of the water has been cooked off. Drain the vegetables.
2. Place the pan back on the stove and lower the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the tablespoon of butter. Stir in the garlic. Cook until light brown.
3. Stir in the well-drained vegetables until the mixture is very warm. Turn the heat to low and combine the mascarpone cheese. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper.
4. Spoon sauce onto your favorite pasta and top with fresh basil.

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Elena T.

3:41AM PDT on May 13, 2013

Thank you :)

May 13
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Patricia H.

12:38AM PDT on May 13, 2013

thanks for sharing

Bryna P.

4:26PM PDT on May 3, 2013

Thank you for the great recipe; I saved for later, and can't wait to try it.

May 3
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Megan H.

8:33AM PDT on Apr 28, 2013

Sounds delicious! So have to try this! I don't know where to get marscapone. I heard it is a bit like ricotta. I wonder if it would taste good with one of my favorite cheeses.