I don’t know about you, but I always have a couple of courgettes at the bottom of the fridge, hiding in plain sight like beached torpedoes. It’s my fault – as one of the few vegetables that arrive in Nassau, I’m bored of them even by the time I get to the checkout desk. But this idea for a pasta sauce actually made me buy them voluntarily the other day: it’s a gorgeous, summery combination of almonds and fresh herbs with softened zucchini and ricotta salata to unite all the flavours.
Instead of melting the zucchini together, as in this pasta sauce, here the idea is to cut long strips of zucchini so that they tangle and wind themselves around the fork with the pasta. The effect is even nicer if you use a “twisty” pasta like fusili, or the aforementioned strozzapreti. You can peel the zucchini if you like, but the skin actually helps the ribbons to hold together rather than collapsing in mushiness – both versions will be yummy (but I remember my Mum telling me that all the vitamins were in the skin…).
Pasta with zucchini, almonds and fresh herbs
Serves 2
- Olive oil
- 4 medium zucchini
- 6 basil leaves
- Small bunch flat leaved parsley
- 80g ricotta salata
- Handful slivered almonds
- 200g penne or fusili
Wash and trim the zucchini and then cut into thin vertical slices, about 1/4 inch, 1/2 cm thick. Cut each slice into vertical ribbons. Pat them down with some kitchen paper to remove excess moisture.
Put the water on for the pasta and salt, preferably with two fists of coarse rock salt. Heat a heavy-based saucepan big enough to take the zucchinis and dry-toast the slivered almonds until they start to colour. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Sauté the zucchini ribbons in the pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Best to do this in batches to not crowd the pan too much, adding a little oil between batches if needed. Return the cooked zucchini to the pan once cooked.
Throw the pasta in and chop the herbs – finely for the parsley, and into fine chiffonade ribbons for the basil. Grate the ricotta coarsely.
As the pasta becomes ready (watch that cooking time if you’re in the USA!) heat the zucchini through. Drain the pasta, add to the pan and now add in the nuts, herbs and cheese, reserving a little of each. Combine well, divide between two plates and prettify each plate with the reserved sprinkles.
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