Best 5 Simple Zucchini Pasta By Mark Bittman Recipes

PASTA WITH CORN, ZUCCHINI AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Set a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add corn. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn begins to brown. Add zucchini and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini begins to brown.
• Add onion or shallots and garlic if you are using it. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add tarragon and cook for 30 seconds, then tomatoes. Put pasta in boiling water and cook until tender but not mushy, 10 to 15 minutes.
• While pasta cooks continue to cook sauce, reducing heat when tomatoes begin to break down. If sauce dries out (with plum tomatoes, this is likely), add some pasta cooking water, about 1/2 cup at a time. When pasta is done, drain it, toss with sauce and remaining oil or butter, and serve immediately.

ZUCCHINI PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper and adjust heat so onion and zucchini release their liquid without browning. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until very tender.
• Add tomatoes and their liquid to zucchini and raise heat a bit so mixture bubbles. Cook pasta until it is nearly but not quite tender. If sauce threatens to dry out, add a little pasta cooking water.
• Drain pasta and finish cooking it in sauce. Serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.

CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Put a pot of salted water on to boil. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and black pepper; mash with just enough cold water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly in the bowl.
• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. The second before it is perfectly cooked (taste it frequently once it begins to soften), use tongs to quickly transfer it to the bowl, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be creamy but not watery.
• Plate and dust each dish with additional pecorino and pepper. Serve immediately.

FRIED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Trim stem ends from zucchini and cut either crosswise into slices about 1/2-inch thick or into French-fry-like sticks. Heat the oven to 200. Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Set up an assembly line of a plate of flour, the plate of eggs and a plate of bread crumbs. Have a baking sheet ready, and several rectangles of wax or parchment paper.
• Coat a zucchini piece in the flour, dip in the egg and coat in the bread crumbs. You want a thin, even layer of each coating; shake off any excess. Put coated zucchini on baking sheet in a single layer, top with wax or parchment paper and repeat with remaining slices. Chill for at least 10 minutes or up to 3 hours.
• Put a large heavy skillet or a deep broad saucepan over medium heat and pour in enough oil to come up the sides at least 1/2 inch. While the oil heats, line a plate with paper towels. The oil is ready when a pinch of flour sizzles immediately.
• Put a few zucchini pieces in the oil without crowding. When the bottoms brown, after 2 to 3 minutes, turn and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting heat to keep oil sputtering without smoking or burning zucchini. As each piece is done, put it on the paper towels to drain, turning to blot it on both sides if needed. Transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in oven while you finish cooking. Add and heat up oil as necessary.
• Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

SUMMER PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.