Pasta with Sicilian Zucchini

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The pasta with Sicilian zucchini (or long zucchini, serpent or, as we call it in Sicilian dialect pasta cca cucuzza longa) is a typical vegetarian first course of my region, a kind of simple, creamy and very tasty summer soup. In the countryside, we have various vegetables and, of course, these typical Sicilian zucchinis cannot be missing. One of the recipes I prefer to make to cook it is certainly this one, the pasta with Sicilian zucchini is prepared in few minutes with few and simple ingredients, I share with you my family recipe that my great-grandmothers used to make, it will be very much loved even by the little ones!

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Cost: Cheap
  • Preparation time: 10 Minutes
  • Portions: 4 People
  • Cooking methods: Stove
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Seasonality: Summer

Ingredients

  • 800 ml water (or vegetable broth)
  • 500 g Sicilian long zucchini
  • 350 g pasta
  • 100 g grated Parmesan cheese
  • 200 g cherry tomatoes
  • 25 g extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • to taste basil
  • to taste salt
  • to taste black pepper

Steps

  • Pasta with Sicilian zucchini is very simple and quick to prepare, first clean the Sicilian zucchini, peel it and cut it into small pieces.

  • Put the oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion, add the zucchinis and brown them for a couple of minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, salt, and let it go for another two minutes.

  • Pour the water (or vegetable broth, I used my homemade bouillon cube), cover with a lid and cook for 15/20 minutes, then add the pasta, adjust the salt (if you used broth/bouillon, it won’t be necessary) and continue cooking for the time indicated on the package, stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking and check it doesn’t dry out.

  • Once cooked, add a few basil leaves, grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of pepper and give it a good stir, plate the pasta with Sicilian zucchini and enjoy it hot or warm.

Advice:

Pasta with Sicilian zucchini can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days. To make it taste like freshly made, heat it by adding a little water/broth. If you can’t find Sicilian zucchinis, use white zucchini or light-colored vegetables.

Other Sicilian first course recipes HERE

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