Pasta with Creamed Zucchini: The Recipe to Save
When you're craving a different sauce, try pasta with creamed zucchini: a simple and versatile option, perfect for transforming a pasta shape into a creamy and fragrant first course.
- 350 g of pasta
- 3 medium courgettes
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- Wash the courgettes well and cut them into cubes.
- Brown two garlic cloves in a pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and discard the garlic.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water.
- Transfer the courgettes to a bowl and add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and the Parmesan cheese. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Once the pasta is cooked, toss it in the pan with the zucchini cream, blending it perfectly with the sauce. If the cream is too dry, add a few more tablespoons of the cooking water. Add a sprinkle of pepper, if desired, and serve.
The zucchini are blended into a smooth, creamy sauce, which can be used immediately as a pasta sauce or stored and used in other dishes. Their delicate flavor pairs well with more flavorful ingredients, but also with fresh notes like basil, mint, and lemon zest.
To make zucchini pesto, you only need a few ingredients: fresh zucchini, Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and dried fruit, with a few more to taste. The result is a creamy and easy-to-make sauce, ideal not only for pasta, but also for crostini, bruschetta, and main courses.
Here's the basic recipe and lots of tips for enriching it and serving it in ever-changing ways.
Raw or cooked zucchini pesto?
Zucchini can also be used raw to make pesto, especially when they're fresh, tender, and small. In this case, it's important to wash them, dry them thoroughly, and chop them into pieces before blending them with the other ingredients. The result will be a pesto with a fresher flavor and brighter color. If you prefer a more delicate flavor and a particularly soft texture, you can briefly cook the zucchini in a pan before blending, as in the recipe found here.
Pasta with creamed zucchini: the basic recipe
Making pasta with creamed zucchini is quick and easy. First, boil the water for the pasta; you'll need a little of the pasta cooking water.
Pasta with creamed zucchini: how to enrich it
Zucchini pesto has a delicate flavor that lends itself to many combinations. You can play with textures and flavors, adding creamy ingredients, aromatic herbs, crunchy elements, or more savory notes.
To make the pesto even creamier, you can add a soft cheese, such as stracchino, robiola, or ricotta. The Parmigiano, already included in the recipe, can also be partially replaced with pecorino for a more pronounced flavor.
Basil and mint are among the most natural pairings with zucchini. Basil makes the pesto more fragrant and delicate, while mint adds a fresh note. You can also use a few parsley leaves or combine several herbs.
The creamy texture of pesto can be enhanced with a crunchy addition. You can set aside a few cubes of zucchini, quickly sauté them in a pan, and add them to the dish just before serving. Alternatively, try nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, or toasted cashews: the heat intensifies their aroma and creates a pleasant contrast with the cream.
To give the dish more character, you can add a savory, crunchy ingredient, such as pan-fried pancetta or speck. Toasted breadcrumbs, perhaps seasoned with herbs and Parmesan, are also an excellent option and can be used in place of dried fruit.
Zucchini also pairs beautifully with fish. Pesto is particularly good with salmon and shrimp, but you can also try it with prawns, fresh tuna, or white fish. For an even fresher result, finish the dish with a few drops of lemon juice or zest.
To completely change the character of the pesto, you can also add fresh or dried cherry tomatoes, olives, or a few anchovy fillets. These ingredients enhance the savory component and create an interesting contrast with the sweetness of the zucchini.
