Prevent your screen from going dark
Use very thin-sliced zucchini, and a lot of it: for two people, two or three medium; for four people, at least four. (And avoid super-large zucchini.) Cook them over medium heat in abundant olive oil — let your conscience be your guide, as they used to say, but let’s say two tablespoons per serving — adding water 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time to soften the slices faster, letting the water evaporate between additions, until the zucchini is really soft, falling apart, pasty-soft.
Then start cooking your pasta (you will note from the photos here I used whole-grain pasta, which is excellent in this dish, and as I’ve mentioned a few times, I do think Community Grains is the best whole-grain pasta there is, other than homemade), meanwhile adding sliced garlic (again, to taste, and this wouldn’t be a bad time to add more oil) to the zucchini and stirring a bit until that’s cooked. Finish with basil, which in this case is better than parsley. Grated cheese is completely optional; some would consider the dish incomplete without, but I’m not one of them; I might add a little more oil to finish.
– Recipe courtesy Mark Bittman