Pump It Up Pasta

The night before the big race, jack up your energy stores with this mild yet satisfying meal. Loaded with complex carbohydrates and extra vitamins, this dish will give you added fuel to burn on competition day.

Ingredients

1 pound fusilli pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium zucchini, diced (about 3 cups)
3 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced and rinsed of grit (about 1 cup)
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
6 ounces Cabot Sharp Cheddar, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup toasted walnut pieces

Directions

COOK pasta according to package directions in large pot of boiling salted water, until almost tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Cover pasta to keep warm.

HEAT oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and lightly colored, about 1 minute. Add zucchini and leeks and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes longer.

ADD reserved cooked pasta, reserved pasta water and garbanzo beans to skillet; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Transfer mixture to large serving bowl. Add cheese, basil and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and toss together well. Scatter walnuts on top and serve.