• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (11/2 cups for 4 servings), then drain. • Meanwhile, wash and dry produce. • Halve, peel, and finely dice shallot. Peel and mince or grate garlic. Trim and grate zucchini on the largest holes of a box grater. • Place zucchini in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather into a tight bundle and squeeze over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. TIP: Alternatively, place grated zucchini in a fine-mesh strainer and press down with a spatula.

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef*, shallot, Italian Seasoning, a big pinch of salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and mostly cooked through, 3-5 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step).

• Add tomato paste to pan with beef. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste is well combined and beef is cooked through, 1-2 minutes. • Stir in zucchini, garlic, and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until zucchini is tender, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in cream cheese, stock concentrate, 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water (ladle straight from the pot if pasta isn’t finished cooking yet), and 1/2 tsp sugar (for 4 servings, use 2⁄3 cup pasta cooking water and 1 tsp sugar). Simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. TIP: If you’ve got some on hand, add a pinch of chili flakes from your pantry for a spicy kick.

• Reduce heat to medium low. Stir drained penne, half the Parmesan, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) into pan with sauce until combined. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. • Divide pasta between plates or bowls. Top with remaining Parmesan and serve. Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160º.