Zucchini can be used in so many ways, but my favorite way is blended into a thick and savory pasta sauce. Learn how to make this incredibly smooth pasta dish in a few easy steps using only fresh ingredients!
If you’ve watched Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy then you’re familiar with his quest to find the cook who created a zucchini pasta so memorable that he had to come back and learn how to make it. This recipe is a family secret, so it’s different than the show, but still memorable and delicious. Who knew that zucchinis could create their own aromatic flavor for a pasta that requires zero tomato sauce! Now let’s get cooking…
Ingredients (for a party of 2):
1 medium sized yellow onion
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 medium sized zucchinis
1 tbsp of pecorino romano cheese crust (sheep’s cheese)
3 fresh basil leaves
4-6 ounces of penne pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
Chop your onion finely. Grab a medium sized cooking pot and cover with olive oil. Add your onion, cook on low heat, and wait for it to become golden.
While the onion is cooking, chop your zucchini into cubes. Once the onion is golden, add the zucchini and stir to blend. Add small dashes of olive oil if the mixture becomes too dry.
Cook for 1 hour, stirring about every 10 minutes. You want the sauce to have a mushy texture, so this will take some time but I promise it’s worth it!
Take your pecorino cheese and cut pieces of the crust off into cubes. Add to the sauce when it has about 10-15 minutes left. The crust is chewier than the cheese, and makes the texture of the pasta become savory and delicious!
Once the zucchini pasta is almost finished, fill a medium-sized pot with water and boil for pasta, adding salt once it’s boiled. I recommend penne with this type of sauce. Cook until al dente and add to the zucchini sauce for the final few minutes to blend.
After the zucchini has completely softened, add salt, pepper, and basil leaves. Stir and serve warm with grated pecorino on top!
Let me know how your zucchini pasta tastes in the comments!
