The pasta with zucchini cream is a simple and delicate first course perfect for a summer lunch, it is prepared quickly and does not contain butter or cream. It only takes about twenty minutes to get a delicious dish also suitable for children.
Unlike other versions where creaminess is achieved by adding a spreadable cheese like Philadelphia, robiola, cream, or mascarpone, this recipe requires the use of few ingredients and maintains its creaminess thanks to a technique used in many restaurants: risottatura.
How to keep it always creamy and prevent it from thickening too much?
In restaurants, pasta is cooked for a few minutes and then risottata in a pan with the seasoning and cooking water; the procedure is similar to that of zucchini risotto or assassin’s spaghetti but, in the version I propose today, you just need to perform this technique for a couple of minutes and you will get a tastier and very creamy first course.
Does the pasta tend to thicken? Add a little bit of pasta cooking water to make the seasoning more fluid, be careful not to overdo it, just a little is enough.
If you don’t know risottatura at the end of the recipe I will explain it better. Meanwhile, here are other recipes with zucchini:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, Spring, Summer and Fall
- Energy 115.16 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.45 (g) of which sugars 0.61 (g)
- Proteins 5.08 (g)
- Fat 5.33 (g) of which saturated 1.68 (g)of which unsaturated 0.83 (g)
- Fibers 1.27 (g)
- Sodium 275.63 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 14 oz spaghetti
- 4 cups zucchini
- 2 shallots
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
- to taste herbs (I used basil and parsley, use whatever you prefer)
- to taste pepper
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan large
- 1 Immersion blender
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Ladle small
Steps
Put the extra virgin olive oil in a pan with finely chopped shallots and sauté over low heat for a few minutes. Pay close attention to the cooking, if it darkens it would ruin the flavor of the seasoning.
Wash the zucchini, trim both ends, cut them into slices and pour them into the pan. Cook them for 10/12 minutes or until they become soft.
Turn off the heat, adjust the salt and pepper; add some basil and parsley leaves (based on your taste) Reduce the zucchini to cream with the immersion blender and pour them back into the pan.
Put a pot with plenty of salted water on the fire, when it boils, cook the pasta keeping it back 2/3 minutes compared to the cooking time written on the package (if you have spaghetti that cooks in 12 minutes, after 9 minutes drain it and pour it into the pan).
Pour the pasta into the pan with the zucchini cream, add a ladle of pasta cooking water, mix well and cook adding more water when needed to keep it very creamy.
When the pasta with zucchini cream is cooked, stir in the Parmigiano and serve.
This type of cooking makes the pasta tastier, aromatic and creamy.
Tips
Storage
Pasta with zucchini cream should be consumed immediately otherwise it tends to absorb the seasoning becoming dry.
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FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How do you perform risottatura of pasta?
The risottatura of pasta is a cooking technique similar to that of risotto from which it takes its name.
To prepare risottata pasta you will need to cook it for a few minutes in water (usually a third of the time indicated on the package) then drain it and finish cooking in a pan with the seasoning adding a little bit of pasta cooking water now and then.
Thanks to the release of starch in the pan, the pasta will be much creamier and also tastier and more flavorful.What ingredients pair well with zucchini
Zucchini is a versatile vegetable, it pairs well with meat, fish, cured meats, and cheeses. In pasta with zucchini cream you can add speck, bacon, or guanciale or salmon or shrimp.
What cheese can be paired with zucchini?
You can pair Feta, salted ricotta, or pecorino, if you prefer more delicate cheeses stracchino, Philadelphia or robiola are perfect
