Fettuccine With Zucchini
Updated May 18, 2017
Michael Kraus for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound medium-size zucchini, about 6, diced
Salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup minced onion
1 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, slivered
1 pound fresh fettuccine
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup grated Grana Padano
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
52 grams carbs; 64 milligrams cholesterol; 531 calories; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 556 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place zucchini in a colander, toss with salt and set aside to drain in sink or over a bowl 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy sauté pan, add onion, pine nuts and garlic and sauté over low heat about 10 minutes, until onion is soft and nuts start to brown. Rinse and drain zucchini and add to pan. Sauté about 20 minutes, until tender.
- Step 2
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta, cook pasta about 3 minutes and drain, reserving about 1 cup pasta water. Add pasta to sauté pan, cook over low heat about 5 minutes, to blend ingredients, adding pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in parsley, cheese and additional olive oil and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
a good way to make sure you don't end up short on pasta water is to grab the cooked noodles out of the pot with tongs and put right in the pan, rather than using a strainer to drain it. save yourself a dish to wash, plenty of pasta water to draw from if you need it - no need to 'drain' the noodles anyway since you're going to be adding the water. :)
I find teh salting step unnecessary - young zucchinia are not bitter. When the salt is rinsed off, the zucchini become wet and do not brown in the pan. Simply wipe, chop, and saute.
Grana Padano is not available in villages in the Adirondacks, and undoubtedly other benighted locales outside large cities. Parmesan, Asiago and Romano are, according some websites, acceptable substitutes.
I wish recipe writers would give substitutes for those of us who are not privileged to live in New York City, Boston, or other such places. It rings of snobbery.
Hepcats, this is a great recipe, but here’s some things I found that shorten the prep time and elevate the flavor. Cut the zucchini in 1/4 inch planks. Salt 15 minutes per side. Brush salt away and dry with paper towel. Drizzle EVOO on zucchini planks. Preheat grill to 450. Grill zucchini 3-4 minutes per side until they have nicely browned grill marks. Remove from grill and set aside to cool. Toast the pine nuts separately in EVOO on super low heat for 5 minutes. Stir constantly, and keep an eye out as they will scorch quickly. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl. Drizzle more EVOO in pan and sauté shallots on low (I swap onions for shallots. IYKYK). After 5 minutes, add minced garlic and sauté for another two minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add zucchini and pine nuts to pan just before fettuccine is ready. After cooking fresh fettuccine for three minutes, add to pan with half cup of pasta water. Mix well, and let cook on low, adding more pasta water as needed. Fold in grated cheese and parsley. Plate, adding a few chunks of zucchini, scattered pine nuts, and a bit of parsley. Drizzle with more EVOO, add a bit more grated cheese and black pepper. KEY: finish with grated lemon zest. It takes it to another level.
Thank you because I always forget to save pasta water!
Okay now I’ve made this three times I will add some concrete thoughts. The pasta/zucchini proportions are off. Double the zukes! Double! Increase the cheese, add more parsley or throw in some other herbs.