For all those times when you crave a quick, creamy first course with a truly special flavor, I highly recommend this pasta with zucchini and pecorino cream! A seemingly simple recipe, almost trivial, but one that will pleasantly surprise you with its unique combination of flavors: the sweetness of the zucchini contrasted by the savoriness of Pecorino Romano and enhanced by the freshness of mint leaves… spectacular! Preparing pasta with zucchini and pecorino cream is quite easy, what requires a bit more attention is the preparation of the pecorino cream: similarly to the classic cacio e pepe, the pecorino cream is made with grated pecorino romano, a pinch of pepper, and a bit of pasta cooking water, taken just before draining so it is rich in starch. The cream should be added to the pasta off the heat, otherwise, unsightly lumps will form. Read the recipe and the tips I leave at the end carefully, to prepare a perfect pasta with zucchini and pecorino cream!
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Pasta with Zucchini and Pecorino
- 14 oz egg spaghetti alla chitarra (or 13 oz dry spaghetti, gluten-free for me)
- 14 oz zucchini
- 3 oz pecorino romano (grated)
- 12 leaves mint
- to taste pepper
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan non-stick pasta pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Small Pot
How to Prepare Pasta with Zucchini and Pecorino Cream
To prepare the pasta with zucchini and pecorino cream, start by trimming the zucchini, wash them well, and cut them into chunks (1). In a non-stick pan, heat the oil (2), and when it is hot, add the zucchini and lightly salt them (3). Do not overdo the salt, keep in mind that the pecorino is already quite salty.
Sauté them for a couple of minutes over low heat, then drizzle with about 1/3 cup of hot water (4), then let them cook over a gentle flame for 7-8 minutes until they are soft (5). Turn off the heat. Wash the mint leaves and chop them with a knife, then add half to the zucchini (6).
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted water and one minute before draining, take a small pot of its cooking water and use it to make the pecorino cream: put the grated pecorino and a grind of pepper in a bowl. Add some of the cooking water (7) mixing well with a fork to avoid lumps.
At the end, you should obtain a homogeneous and fairly soft mixture (8). If you mistakenly add too much water, you can adjust the sauce by adding more pecorino. Drain the pasta very al dente and transfer it to the pan. Sauté for about a minute, also adding a little cooking water, so that it finishes cooking and a light sauce forms at the bottom (9).
Turn off the heat and let it rest for 15-20 seconds, then, when the pasta is no longer boiling, add the pecorino cream (10) and mix immediately, so as to blend the sauce with the pasta without melting the cheese (11).
Serve the pasta with zucchini and pecorino cream immediately, garnished with more fresh chopped mint.
Tips and Variations
For the perfect result of the recipe, choose pecorino that is not too aged: the more aged it is, the more likely it is to clump when exposed to heat. If you choose fresh pasta (egg tonnarelli, spaghetti alla chitarra, scialatielli…), the result will be better, because compared to dry pasta it contains more starch, which will make the pasta creamier.
