Artichokes and Zucchini with Whole Wheat Spaghetti

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 defrosted 9 oz. packages of frozen artichoke hearts
almost a box of Barilla Plus Spaghetti, or whichever brand you prefer

(you can also add some parmigiano reggiano cheese, lemon juice, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, or whichever flavors you like to make this meal a little different. I personally like to add red pepper to it for a little kick, but I left the recipe plain so you can customize it to suit your own tastes.

Place sliced zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with some salt to remove some of the excess liquid. Leave to drain for a half hour or so.

Heat the olive oil in a big skillet and add the zucchini. Saute until tender.

Put a pot of water on to boil.

Add the garlic to the skillet and saute that too.

Add the artichoke hearts and cook until they are completely heated through and pretty soft. (This is also a good time to add whatever seasonings or lemon juice or whatever you like - except the cheese, save that for the end)

Whenever the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook to desired softness, about 10 minutes for al dente. Drain the pasta and combine all ingredients in one large bowl. Serves 6.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TVMLAUREN.