The risotto-style pasta with zucchini is a creamy and flavorful first course that’s easy to make. The process is similar to that of risotto; the pasta is cooked directly in the pan, adding little liquid at a time instead of being boiled and then seasoned. Thanks to the starch the pasta releases during cooking, you’ll get a much creamier and tastier first course.
In this recipe, the star is the zucchini, a typically summer vegetable, versatile and delicate. Its flavor lends itself perfectly to this cooking technique where it is sautéed and then cooked together with the pasta until it blends into an almost velvety consistency.
To make the dish more flavorful, you can add ingredients like onion, garlic, pecorino, grated parmesan, and aromatic herbs.
Zucchini, like squash, are perfect for creating first courses with the risotto technique. Today I propose a simple first course, but you can enrich it with cheeses like gorgonzola or taleggio and cold cuts like speck or pancetta.
Try also the other recipes with zucchini:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons, Summer
- Energy 128.97 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.08 (g) of which sugars 0.95 (g)
- Proteins 5.33 (g)
- Fat 6.98 (g) of which saturated 2.76 (g)of which unsaturated 1.40 (g)
- Fibers 1.20 (g)
- Sodium 438.13 (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
- 6.3 oz pasta (like ditalini, I used Molisana cubes)
- 1 shallot
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 zucchini (medium, 250g net weight)
- 14.1 oz vegetable broth
- 1.4 oz grated parmesan
- 0.4 oz butter (or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Grater
- 1 Cutting Board
Steps
Pour the oil into a large pan, add the finely chopped shallot and sauté over low heat for a couple of minutes.
Wash and trim the ends of the zucchini on both sides, grate them with a small-hole grater and add to the pan, cooking for 6/7 minutes.
Add the pasta, stir, and add two glasses of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat, stirring often. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of broth or water to achieve a creamy pasta.
Season with salt and add a grind of black pepper.
Cook until the pasta is al dente; turn off the stove and mix with grated Parmesan and butter (or if you prefer, replace it with a drizzle of oil).
If you like, add some aromatic herbs to your preference; I added some torn basil.
The risotto-style pasta with zucchini is ready, serve it immediately.
Notes
For tips on making the recipes, contact me on FACEBOOK and, if you like, follow me on INSTAGRAM
Send me your photos, I will be happy to publish them on my socials
