Rustic pasta with zucchini, carrots and sausage: a complete, colorful and flavorful first course. Perfect for a quick lunch.
This first course is a true embrace of flavors: the natural sweetness of the carrots, the delicacy of the zucchini and the savory taste of the sausage. Everything is wrapped in a tomato sauce that ties all the ingredients together. But the real secret of this recipe comes at the end: the addition of smoked scamorza. This cheese, gently melting from the heat of the pasta, creates a creamy, stringy texture.
The rustic pasta with zucchini, carrots and sausage is the perfect solution for those who have little time but don’t want to give up a complete meal. It’s also ideal for a Sunday family lunch or an impromptu dinner with friends.
Now let’s see how to prepare rustic pasta with zucchini, carrots and sausage.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 7 oz pasta
- 1 zucchini (large, about 7 oz (200 g))
- 1 carrot
- 1 sausage
- 2/3 cup tomato purée (passata)
- 3 oz smoked scamorza cheese
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- 2 glasses water
Tools
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 High-sided saucepan
How to prepare rustic pasta with zucchini, carrot and sausage
Wash the zucchini and the carrot. Cut the zucchini and carrot into small cubes so they cook evenly together.
In a large frying pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the carrots and zucchini and sauté over high heat for a few minutes until golden.
Pour one glass of water into the pan and let it cook until the water has completely evaporated. This will make the vegetables tender.
When the pan is dry, add the sausage, removed from its casing and crumbled. Increase the heat and brown it well with the vegetables until it is golden and flavorful.
Add the tomato purée and another glass of water. Stir and let the sauce reduce over low heat for about 10 minutes. Adjust salt to taste.
Cook the pasta al dente and drain it directly into the pan. Toss everything together for one minute. (I recommend short pasta shapes like trofie, fusilli, penne or rigatoni. They are perfect for catching the sauce).
Add the cubes of smoked scamorza and mix vigorously until the cheese is completely melted and stringy.
Serve immediately.
Storage
We recommend eating the dish immediately to enjoy the stringy effect of the scamorza. If there are leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for 1 day and reheat in a pan, adding a little milk to restore creaminess.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
Can I substitute the cheese?
If you don’t like smoky flavors, you can use pizza mozzarella instead.
Can I substitute the sausage?
You can replace the sausage with smoked pancetta or diced cooked ham for a milder version.
