Between the summer vegetables zucchini are for sure between the ones I used the most. This year we decide to try to grow in our garden a particular yellow type, not really a rarity but definitely it’s a type of zucchini that you don’t really see often in the shops and markets.

The taste is a bit different, a bit sweeter, vaguely reminding the pumpkin maybe.

Since I didn’t know how it would be, I decided to prepare a simple pasta, pairing it with crunchy cured ham and some Pecorino cheese. Well, it was good 🙂

(for the ham, choose a good product made without nitrates/nitrites, indeed these preservatives are not good for your health especially when cooked).

Let’s see.

 

INGREDIENTS (2 people):

• 180-200 g pasta (I used rigatoni)
• 400 g yellow zucchini
• half of a small onion
• 2-3 slices of cured ham, not too much salted and not smoked (or just a little)
• freshly grated Pecorino cheese
• fresh basil leaves
• extra virgin olive oil

 

1. Cut the yellow zucchini into small slices of about 3-4 mm thick. Take a pan and heat the extra virgin olive oil, then add the onion cut very small and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
2. Then add the zucchini, season with some salt, cover the pan and cook at medium heat, for about 10-12 minutes. In the same time start boiling the pasta, and in another small pan cook the cured ham, cut into slices, until crunchy.
3. When the zucchini are soft, take 1/4 of them and reduce into a cream with an immersion blender, adding some boiling water of the pasta and some freshly grated Pecorino cheese.
4. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the zucchini, add also the zucchini cream, some basil leaves, and a ladle of boiling water if needed. Stir for a minute about, until the cream is well mixed.
5. Serve, add the crunchy ham, some fresh basil, some more freshly grated Pecorino cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy.

 

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Products used:

Pasta: rigatoni from Pastificio Gentile

Ham: Dalmatian cured ham, without preservatives

Cheese: Pecorino di Moliterno