|
Jammy Zucchini and Tomato Pasta A few notes about this recipe: - Don’t skimp on the olive oil. You might actually need even more than 1/3 cup if your pan is very wide (mine is 10 inches). You want the zucchini to poach in the oil and be somewhat submerged in it so it can cook through and fall apart. - If the zucchini you have has thicker skin, peel it. I like to use Romanesco zucchini or the varieties with very light skin. If your zucchini is large and has a lot of seeds, scoop and remove them. - Use very ripe tomatoes. This time I used some smaller orange tomatoes that my neighbor had shared with me. I didn’t peel the skin this time, but I do sometimes if it’s a large tomato that is easy to peel. It depends on whether you are bothered by tomato skin in your sauce or not. - For the pasta, my favorite gluten-free brand is Jovial and I also really like Andean Dream. Neither of them fall apart and they do have a bite. Cook the pasta a minute less than the package directions so you can give it one last toss in the sauce before serving. - I made an Instagram reel so you can see the consistency of the sauce. Watch here. Serves 2 1/3 cup (75 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 1 medium zucchini, cut into medium dice (see headnote) 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes Kosher salt 1 large very ripe tomato or 4 to 5 smaller ones, cut into medium dice (see headnote) 4 ounces (115 g) gluten-free capellini or spaghetti (see headnote) Freshly ground black pepper 1. Before you begin to cook the sauce, bring a large pot of water to boil. The sauce will take about 15 minutes to cook so time your pasta so it coincides more or less when the sauce is done. When the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt into pot and cook your pasta al dente. 2. Cook the olive oil and garlic in a medium sauté pan over low heat until the garlic begins to turn lightly golden. Add the zucchini, a generous pinch of salt, and chili flakes. Stir around and let it cook over low heat until the zucchini falls apart and has a little bit of golden color, not much, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato and another pinch of salt and stir. Continue cooking on low until the tomato is disintegrated into the sauce. 3. A minute before the pasta is done cooking, turn the heat for your sauce to high, and add about 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water into the sauce. It will bubble away. Let the sauce reduce for a minute. It will thicken slightly. Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce and toss together for another 30 seconds so the pasta absorbs all flavors. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh black pepper, and if you’d like, some grated Parmesan.
|
