PASTA E ZUCCHINE MAMMA'S STYLE

With a side of old fashioned....

Here is a recipe I learned early on, when I first started cooking. Something that my mother would make often, especially in the Summer, when zucchini are very tasty in Italy. If done properly it can be good here too. However, if you really want to experience the full flavor of it, you must go to Italy, especially southern Italy. Maybe even Calabria, where the summer zucchini are large, round, and very very flavorful. I chose this recipe because my dear friend Ville, from Finland, requested it. I cooked this a long time ago for him and apparently he's been making it ever since, but wanted the original recipe. So, here it is.

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 zucchini

• 2 eggs

• Half an onion

• 3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil.

• Half a pound of Pasta (penne, or fusilli, or any short pasta)

• Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)

• A few leaves of basil

Let's make it:

The first thing you want to do is slice the zucchini, pretty thin, as in the picture below. Maybe a quarter of an inch or even thinner.

After you do that, slice the onion. I don't chop it, I slice it. We can't really call it a "julienne"... maybe a half julienne (demi-julienne... I just made that up). Picture below.

Next put the onion in the olive oil, and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes, over medium heat, until wilted. Don't let it burn. Add the zucchini. If you can, use a steel pan, large enough to fit most of the sliced zucchini in one layer (or at least without crowding them too much).

Let the zucchini and onions cook on medium/low heat without touching them for about 10 minutes. Allow the onions, sitting at the bottom, and the zucchini to caramelize a bit. You will be tempted to move stuff around in the pan. But be strong, resist that evil temptation. RESIST IT! The zucchini will acquire more flavor if they caramelize. And if you start stirring everything around in the pan, they won't. Also please don't cover it... we want the zucchini and the onions fried, not steamed. Don't forget to add salt...

While the zucchini is cooking, you can make an "old fashioned"... Here's my recipe:

Place a small sugar cube in a lowball glass, and add Angostura bitters. I secretly put a few dashes of Reagans orange bitters too, but traditionalists would be offended by that. Add a drop of warm water. Muddle. add lots of ice (or a giant ice cube). The ice cubes need to be solid, not small, otherwise the whole thing gets way too watery... and we don't want a watery drink, do we now? Add 2 ounces of your favorite rye or bourbon (I love Rittenhouse), stir (in the glass). Squeeze an orange peel over the drink, drop the peel in the glass and enjoy the drink. By the time you have the first sip, the zucchini should be ready to be moved around the pan. Here are some pictures of my old fashioned:

Let's get back to our zucchini... Cook them for another 10 minutes, until they are all browned and look appetizing... like in the picture below. Adjust the salt to your taste.

Cook the pasta (you will find tips for cooking pasta in my last blog post). While the pasta is cooking, put half of the cooked zucchini in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of pasta water and a few basil leaves, then with an immersion blender, make a purée. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular one, of course. Just make a purée. Leave the other half in the pan (off the heat).

Break two eggs in a bowl, add a lot of grated Parmigiano and beat the mixture. Set aside the two precious bowls until the pasta is cooked. Drain the pasta and put it the pan with the zucchini, add the purée and the eggs, and put back on the heat. Sautee for about 2 minutes.

This is what it looked like in my pasta bowl this evening:

Enjoy with a nice glass of Trebbiano, or Falanghina, or any white wine you like... avoid cheap Pinot Grigio... always avoid that.

Buon appetito or Hyvää Ruokahalua as my Finnish friends say! Stay safe and see you next time. Ciao ciao.