When the garden is giving you lots of zucchini, pick some small ones with the blossoms still attached and make this spaghetti. It’s so simple but tastes great–and it’s super easy to make! It probably tastes just as good without the blossoms so make it with small zucchini without the blossoms if need be.
Spaghetti with Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby zucchini with the blossoms attached or 4 small zucchini
- 8 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup pasta water
- 3/4 pound spaghetti
- a handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced into thin strips
- grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you prep the zucchini.
- Remove the blossoms from the zucchini and take the pistils out, then roughly chop the blossoms.
- Slice the zucchini into thick coins.
- At some point in here add the pasta to the water.
- Heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic slices, then the zucchini slices. Cook at medium high until the zucchini is golden, stirring so that each side gets cooked. Lower the heat and add the chopped blossoms and stir. Add some pasta water to the zucchini and let it simmer while the pasta finishes cooking.
- Put the pasta in a serving dish. Just lift it out with tongs and let it drain from the tongs a bit, then put it in the dish and put the zucchini on top, scraping all the juices from the pan. Sprinkle with the basil and toss gently, adding a bit more pasta water if it seems dry. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with grated Parmesan at the table.
This came from Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style. You can get used hardcovers on Amazon for $5 or so, which is a fantastic deal. There are so many good recipes in it. I make this Russian Salad a few times a year, as well as a raw zucchini salad, various artichoke recipes, fantastic salads, pastas, and many side dish vegetables.
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