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1
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.
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2
You want the pasta to still have some bite to it, as it will finish cooking through when you add it to the skillet.
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3
Remember to salt your water aggressively and do not oil the water.
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4
Oil makes the pasta too slippery and the sauce will not stick to the noodles.
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5
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
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6
Toss in the shallot and saute until translucent.
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7
Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
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8
Add the bell pepper, zucchini and summer squash and cook until veggies are tender but still have some bite left to them, about 10 minutes.
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9
Salt and pepper to taste then transfer veggies to a plate and return pan to heat.
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10
Lower the heat to medium low and add the butter to the pan.
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11
While butter is melting, use a wooden spoon and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
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12
Add the heavy cream and mix well.
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13
Now its time to add the cheese; if you dont have any of the specified cheeses, you can use what you have and still make this work.
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14
I happened to have a bag of shredded Italian cheese blend in my fridge that I use for pizzas and it worked perfectly.
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15
Add the cheese 1 handful at a time and make sure it is thoroughly melted before adding more to the pan.
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16
You will need around 2 cups, but I like to taste as Im adding so the sauce is to my desired level of cheesiness.
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17
Salt and pepper to taste, then reduce heat to low.
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18
When pasta has finished cooking, drain thoroughly and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
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19
Add directly to the skillet with the cream sauce.
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20
Toss pasta with the cream sauce; if your sauce is too thick, add a little bit of pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
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21
Throw in the veggies, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with fresh basil.
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22
Serve immediately with a big hunk of fresh Italian bread.
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23
Note: If you choose, you can top this with toasted breadcrumbs.
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24
I like the additional crunch it gives, but its purely optional.
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25
If adding, toast 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs with 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat until light brown.
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26
Sprinkle over pasta before serving.
