Baked Penne with Corn, Zuchinni and Basil

These past couple of nights I have done
absolutely nothing to make dinner, except,
plan out the menu for the week.

I have come home from work exhausted
partly because I seem to be suffering
from allergies. Itchy eyes, congestion
and sore throat just like all the other
Georgians!

I am so lucky though, because my husband
has been making dinner! Eating all the
fresh food we bought at the market is
so much better than ordering out.

This recipe from William Sonoma
is a keeper even though there
are many steps. Trust me when I
say the end result is worth it.

Baked Penne with Corn, Zuchinni and Basil

Ingredients:
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. penne
6 Tbs. olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 cup corn or 2 ears of fresh corn
6 zucchini, cut into half-moons
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1 Tbs. sliced garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400ºF.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Generously salt the water, add the pasta and cook,
stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water. Set aside.

In a 12-inch nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat,
warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the corn,
season with salt and black pepper and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the corn is lightly golden,
6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and warm
the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Working in batches,
add the zucchini, season with salt and cook,
stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is
tender and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add to the bowl with the corn. Repeat with
remaining zucchini, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Set the pan over medium-low heat.
Add the onion, 1 tsp. salt and black pepper, to taste.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent,
about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, oregano
and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally,
until the tomatoes soften and begin to form a sauce,
about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook
for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the wine
has reduced and the sauce is fairly thick,
about 3 minutes more.

Add the pasta, tomato sauce, basil,
mozzarella and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano
to the bowl with the vegetables and stir to combine.
Transfer to the fry pan and sprinkle the remaining
Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Transfer the pan to the
oven and bake until golden brown on top,
20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

This was very good!
You can't see all the good stuff that it is inside
trust me ~ it is in there!