Zucchini-Tomato Ragu

September 3, 2018  •  Pasta & Pizza, Sauces

Today marks five weeks that I’ve been on a “no chewing” diet following gum surgery. During week one, my mouth was still raw and swollen and I survived on pureed vegetable soups – I lost 5 pounds in a week. During week two I discovered that ice cream and mashed potatoes with plenty of butter and cream are easy to swallow without any chewing – I gained back the 5 pounds. Sometime after week three I grew tired of liquid and pureed foods and became desperate to eat real food, just something that didn’t need chewing. Turns out there are lots of things like that and if my dentist pays me to create a cookbook and guide for his patients then I’ll publish my findings! In the meantime, this simple sauce was minced enough and smooth enough that when paired with orzo which is small enough to eat without chewing, felt like a real meal. By now I can even add a mashed up meatball to this and manage to eat without chewing. Never too late to add a new skill!This doesn’t really require a recipe, so let me just tell you what I had and what I did. I had a few very ripe tomatoes that I cored and blanched to remove the skin (only because of my stitches), then pureed in the food processor. I grated summer squash and zucchini (about 4-6 cups shredded) on a mandolin so that it would be small enough for me, thinly sliced a good handful of basil, and chopped a bunch of green onions. I simmered everything together until it was nice and soft so I’d be able to safely eat it. You can leave it chunky or puree it further for your own needs. I used it on top of orzo, but you can dress any past with this vegetarian ragu!

Add a Comment