Spaghetti with Creamy Zucchini Sauce

Paoletta, the very talented author of Anice e Cannella, invited her readers to join in a summer game (Giochino d'estate). The idea is to replicate or reinvent this dish, and send her a photo of the final creation. She will then select three photos and publish them in her blog.


Since I have zucchini coming out of my ears (typical Italian expression, mi escono dalle orecchie), I decided to try this delicious sounding pasta sauce today. Plus I am having so much fun discovering blogs in Italian, so perche' no (why not)?

Below is a closer look at the tomato topping, one word-DELICIOUS! I made only minor changes to the recipe. Since I can't have too many tomatoes I cooked more than the recipes called for, I also used sliced almonds since I had them and thought that they would look nicer. The original recipe sounded perfect but I decided to add some chili flakes to the tomatoes just as I turned off the heat. The added spiciness worked perfectly to add a little more zest to this otherwise perfect dish. This was a great dish to have in this super hot summer evening.

For non-Italian readers here is the recipe, with my changes, in English:

Spaghetti with Creamy Zucchini Sauce
Four Servings

one shallot
three zucchini, cut in small cubes
marjoram
basil
EVOO
Salt and Pepper
3 TBS grated Pecorino cheese
40 grams of sliced almonds, toasted
a handful of small tomatoes
pinch of chili flakes
320 grams spaghetti

Sautée the shallot in olive oil. Add the zucchini, the herbs, salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Puree the zucchini, adjust with more salt and pepper if desired, and add the Pecorino cheese. In another sautée pan, cook the toasted almonds in a little oil, add the sliced tomatoes and cook at high heat for 5 minutes, set aside. Cook the pasta al dente, drain and mix it with the zucchini puree. Plate the pasta and add the tomatoes and almonds on the top. Add more freshly grated Pecorino and some julienned basil.

Ho fatto solo delle piccole variazioni alla ricetta originale. Ho usato piu' pomodorini perche' non mi stanco mai di mangiarli e ne ho a bizzeffe, e ho usato le mandorle tagliate sottili. Ho anche insaporito con un pizzico di peperoncino i pomodori e le mandorle dopo averli tolti dal fuoco, e li ho aggiunti sopra gli spaghetti invece di mescolarli con il sugo di zucchine.

Buon Appetito!