The ziti with raw zucchini pesto is a really quick and delicious first course. Only raw ingredients are used to prepare the pesto. In fact, the zucchinis are not cooked but grated raw. After putting them in the mixer with the other ingredients, just blend! After a few minutes, the raw zucchini pesto is ready! It’s great not only for dressing pasta but also for spreading on bruschetta. Or you can use the zucchini pesto to accompany main dishes. Don’t like zucchinis? No problem! Below are some pesto-based recipes that you can use to dress your favorite pasta! So, are we ready to enjoy the ziti with zucchini pesto?! Start boiling the pasta, and before you know it, the dish is ready! Here’s the recipe with step-by-step photos!
First courses with pesto that I recommend you try!
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 12.7 oz pasta
- 2 zucchinis (fairly large, weight about 17.6 oz)
- 20 almonds (+ as needed to decorate the dish)
- basil (5-6 leaves)
- as needed Taggiasca olives (only if liked)
- 1.4 oz grated Parmesan
- 4.2 oz olive oil (approximately)
- as needed salt
- Half clove garlic (only if liked)
Tools
- Food Processor
- Casserole Dish
- Grater
- Frying Pan
- Tea Towel
- Ladle
Steps
First, fill a pot with water and put it on the stove to cook the pasta later.
Wash the zucchinis and grate them very finely. Wrap them in a tea towel and squeeze them well.
This step is essential to remove the excess vegetable water.
At this point, take a food processor and put in the grated Parmesan and almonds.
Run the processor for just a few seconds, then add the garlic (only if you like it), basil leaves, and squeezed zucchinis.
If your mixer is small, you will need to do this in batches.
Run the processor to blend everything. Finally, add the olive oil and blend again until you get a cream.
If it’s too thick, you can add a little water until you reach the desired consistency.
The raw zucchini pesto is ready!
Meanwhile, the water will have reached boiling point, so all that’s left is to salt it and toss in the pasta!
You can use any pasta shape you prefer, short or long is fine.
Take it out al dente, put it in a pot, and add the raw zucchini pesto.
I recommend adding the pesto little by little as you may not need to use all of it.
A nice sprinkle of Parmesan and a little cooking water, if necessary, to make it creamier.
Mix with a ladle and then serve immediately.
Arrange the pasta on plates, garnish with some Taggiasca olives, Parmesan, and a handful of chopped almonds.
Et voilà! The Creamy Ziti with Raw Zucchini Pesto is ready to serve!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! Come back soon to visit me! Until next time!
For the preparation of this dish, I chose Ziti, Pasta di Gragnano IGP from the L’Oro di Gragnano line, kindly gifted by the Pastificio Sorrentino (#gifted)
Discover here all the recipes I made with Pastificio Sorrentino products.
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If you have leftover zucchini pesto, it can be stored in the fridge for a few days. Put it in a clean container, add a drizzle of oil on top and close with the lid. If you prefer, you can double the ingredients for the pesto preparation and store what’s left in the freezer, so you’ll have a nice supply available.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How can I substitute almonds?
Pesto not only tastes great with almonds but also with other types of nuts. Try walnuts or pine nuts. The quantities are the same 😉
Can I skip the garlic?
Of course! Not everyone likes garlic, so feel free to leave it out if you prefer!
