Zucchini Penne, Via Shortcuts
In a perfect world, people who cook family meals like zucchini with penne would have time to make everything from scratch, including pepper basil sauce. They would manage to roast peppers instead of buying them already roasted.
But since so many people have to cook after work, prepared peppers must be purchased. With one warning: Buy peppers that have been preserved in water rather than vinegar. The vinegar overwhelms all the other seasonings, even if you rinse the peppers before using them.
For the salad of mixed greens, a few tomatoes have been suggested, not because New Jersey tomatoes -- the best -- are in season, because they are not, but because some of the newer varieties of tomatoes, grown hydroponically, also taste pretty good.
Recently, in the stores there were some small yellow ones on the stem, and they made a very nice addition to the mixed greens.
Unless the tomatoes are good, though, wait until summer.
Hot Zucchini and Pepper Basil Sauce With Penne
1 1/2 pounds zucchini and yellow squash  Nonstick pan spray  4 large roasted red peppers, packed in water  2 large cloves garlic  2 tablespoons capers  2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/4 to  1/2 teaspoon hot-pepper flakes  8 ounces penne  1 teaspoon olive oil  A few sprigs basil, to yield  1/4 cup chopped  Freshly ground black pepper to taste.
1. Bring water to boil in a covered pot for penne.
2. Turn on broiler, and line the broiler pan with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Scrub and trim the zucchini and yellow squash, and slice  in half lengthwise. Arrange on the foil-lined broiler pan, cut side up, and spray with nonstick pan spray. Broil the squashes about 3 inches from the source of heat for about 15 minutes, until they are browned and softened.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the peppers and cut in fine julienne strips. Chop the garlic, rinse the capers and combine the garlic, capers, anchovy paste and hot pepper flakes.
4. Cook the penne according to package directions.
5. Heat a small nonstick skillet until it is hot. Reduce heat to medium high, and add the oil. Quickly saute the garlic mixture. Remove from heat, and stir in the julienned peppers.
6. Cut the squashes into thin strips, and add to the pepper mixture.
7. Wash, dry and cut the basil, and stir into pepper mixture. Season with pepper.
8. Drain the penne, and top with the sauce.
Yield: 2 servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 660 calories, 7 grams fat, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 530 milligrams sodium, 30 grams protein, 130 grams carbohydrate.
Mixed Greens and Tomatoes With Raspberry Vinaigrette
2 ounces mixed greens, like mesclun  2 small tomatoes, if good and ripe; otherwise omit  1 teaspoon olive oil  2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar.
1. Wash the greens; drain and dry. Cut up the tomatoes, if using.
2. In serving bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar together.
3. Stir the greens and optional tomatoes into the dressing.
Yield: 2 servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 190 calories, 5 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 80 milligrams sodium, 12 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrate.
Game Plan
Prepare pasta and sauce through Step 5.  Make the salad.  Finish the pasta and sauce.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE