Healthier Parmesan Spaghetti Alla Nerano

Alright friends, there is another mystery afoot! A week or two back, I shared on Instagram that I had not only been on a date but that it was also actually a second date…and it went well! I then asked the group (rhetorically…at least mostly) what the chances were that something went horribly awry.

Spoiler alert: it did

This is where the mystery comes in. You see, after the seemingly successful second date, this particular guy was going out of town for a family event.

It was therefore about a week before I knew he’d be back around and available. Though he’d said he had a great time and that he’d text me when he returned, eventually, when I hadn’t heard from him, I reached out myself.

After all, he’d told me repeatedly what a good time he was having, that he wanted to see me again, etc…I didn’t think there was all that much risk involved.

Spoiler alert: I was wrong.

About an hour after I reached out, I received the following text message back:

Hey Tori, I’m sorry I didn’t text you back sooner. I had some family issues come up during the trip. Nothing too serious but I’ve just been feeling like being alone. I think you’re a really cool person and I had fun with you. But I don’t want to lead you along, my head is elsewhere. I’m really sorry again”. Now, some of you might be wondering, where’s the mystery in that?!

I’d be willing to bet, though, that those people haven’t spent much time dating recently. The question, of course, is whether or not that well written, kind, upfront message is, well….full of sh*%.

I mean, on the one hand, he responded quite quickly, really had been on a family trip, continued to compliment me and, in theory, really could just be in the wrong mental place to continue to see me. On the other hand, though…well, people in dating situations lie…kind of frequently.

Also, that second date had included getting physical so, unfortunately, there’s always the chance that that had been the only goal all along. In reality, it doesn’t actually matter whether or not the guy was being genuine. It had only been 2 dates and he clearly wasn’t interested in a third.

What difference does it make why!?

Well, except for my ego, of course. So, here we are and I am truly not quite sure. Was it a genuine, upfront explanation? Or was it just a kinder way of very clearly blowing me off? I’d love to know what you guys think about the whole situation!

I doubt I’ll even have to ask what you think, though, about this Healthier Parmesan Spaghetti Alla Nerano…it’s too delicious to question!

A traditional Pasta Alla Nerano, named for the small beach town in Italy in which it was created, uses provolone cheese and zucchini to make a creamy, flavorful and inexpensive sauce.

With a personal leaning towards parmesan, though, and my usual desire to make pasta good for you, I made a couple of tweaks to the original here. Doesn’t make it any less inexpensive or delicious, though!

This Healthier Parmesan Spaghetti Alla Nerano uses the pasta’s own water, basil and blended zucchini to make a creamy, nutritious sauce absolutely bursting with fresh flavor!

Though pictured here with shrimp, it can absolutely be made without for a vegetarian delight or even with chicken. It also comes together incredibly quickly and is SO pretty, making it the perfect dish for a night in alone or when trying to impress company.

Altogether, I’d say it’s pretty clear that regardless of your preferences, this Healthier Parmesan Spaghetti Alla Nerano is going to be a new, regular favorite. In other words, with dinner sorted, you now have plenty of time to ponder my dating fails!

NOT-SO-PRO TIPS FOR YOUR HEALTHIER PARMESAN SPAGHETTI ALLA NERANO

It might sound like it takes a lot of pots and pans to make this dish but you can actually do it with only two! Use the same skillet to cook the zucchini, garlic and a protein, if you’re adding one. Then, once you’ve cooked the pasta, use the same pot to cook, blend and perfect the sauce!

To reserve pasta water, simply place your colander over a bowl or measuring cup and pour the pasta and water in. The noodles will remain drained in the colander and you’ll catch the water beneath to then measure and add as needed

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender or even a food processor to create your sauce If you haven’t tried Dreamfields pasta, you need to! It’s packed with fiber and nutrition but a white pasta that tastes just as good as the less healthy versions you’re used to