"No one wants to eat this kind of food in a restaurant," Franco Ricatti, owner of the Ristorante Bacco in Barletta, Puglia, told me, "but we make it all the time at home." As he described the following, one-pot preparation of pasta boiled with diced zucchini and potatoes, dressed with olive oil and grated Parmesan, I begged him to make it for me. Franco breaks the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces, but I don't bother. And he doesn't use any herbs — unusual behavior in Italy — but I like to add a little basil or parsley.
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
Step 1
In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts water to a boil. Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Add potato and salt to boiling water and boil 2 minutes. Add zucchini and pasta and boil until pasta is al dente.
Step 2
Drain pasta and vegetables in a colander, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, and in a bowl toss pasta and vegetables with oil, basil or parsley, reserved cooking liquid, and Parmesan. Season with additional salt and pepper.
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评论(27)
Back to TopThis was surprisingly delicious. I used half the pasta, a little extra zucchini, and fresh parsley. Also, I added a pat of butter to the oil and water at the end, and I think it makes a big difference - the overall texture is creamier.
Anonymous
nyc
8/9/2009
Perfect dish for a snowy day (like today - here in DC)! We've loved this for several years now. I do, however, like to add extra zucchini to up the veggie content and if you don't have fresh basil, dry works pretty well too.
rfanslow
Arlington, VA
3/2/2009
I also used Romano cheese instead of Parmesan and added dried basil.
jenifi
9/25/2008
This is a very simple recipe, so do not expect anything elaborate. However, it is good for extra zucchini and potatoes. I added onion and garlic to the boiling water, and I used whole wheat rotelle. I also added lemon juice, halved cherry tomatoes and less olive oil than was called for. Next time I would add the zucchini later so that it does not get too soft.
jenifi
9/25/2008
I roasted the potatoes first for about 30 minutes, and then added the zucchini for another 20 minutes. Both were tossed with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Roasting really brought out the flavors of the potatoes and zucchini, which I think probably made it more flavorful than the original version. Very simple but very delicious!
alixjwall
Oakland, CA
6/6/2008
I absolutely love this recipe: the ease of prep, the simple ingredients, the taste I make it exactly as it is written (no basil or parsley) but I can seen that it would be easy to modify.I believe it is integral to add the amount of salt as written. Also, since it is so simple, every ingredient should be quality. I also believe the 12 oz of cheese has to be an error--stick with the half cup.
Anonymous
Saint Louis, MO
5/15/2008
I make this all the time, it is really good and pleases the whole family. In the olive oil I cook a little garlic and pine nuts before combining. I reserve 4 forks for only the most amazing things on the site, but this should get 3.5 forks simply because of the added bonus of ease of preparation. If you use fresh high quality Parm, or a Parm/Regg mix it should have plenty of flavor. I don't bother peeling the potatoes since I use thin skinned fingerling potatoes. You could also sprinkle in a little dried basil, if that's all you have mid-winter.
MilleLunes
4/7/2008
I really loved this dish on a cold winter night. I added some crushed garlic, onion and diced dry salami to the olive oil in a small skillet and put the mixture on low heat and added it at the end with the pasta water. I think some pancetta or bacon would have been good too.
Anonymous
Boulder, CO
12/11/2007
I honestly was skeptical the first time I made this a few years ago; it sounded pretty bland, but we love to try unusual things and I had a bumper crop of zucchini that year. Surprisingly to me, both my husband and I loved it. I use redskins, usually, and use slightly less pasta and LOTS of fresh basil--plus, I'm never shy with the cheese in any recipe. :) We look forward to it as a summer treat to use the goodies from the garden. The flavor is subtle, but very enjoyable. Absolute summer comfort food.
ccpontiac
Michigan
9/10/2007
eh. It didn't taste bad, but it wasn't good. It was just kind of bland. I put in a lot of extra cheese and garlic, and it didn't really help.
Anonymous
CA
6/12/2007
Quick and tasty.
maraki23
12/14/2004
This is the worst recipe I have ever made. The sauce is tasty, but the combination is horrid. We picked out the zucchini and ate that, but threw away the rest. If I could give it no forks, I would.
Annette
Osceola, PA
10/14/2003
Really tasty! I found that a LOT more cheese was needed, but it was a fast and simple meal that even a hard-core meat eater liked!
Anonymous
Seattle,WA
2/20/2003
This is one of my favorite every-day recipes-- it lends itself to all kinds of variations. We have been making it regularly for years.
Anonymous
12/9/2002
I made this a while back and, unfortunately, I thought it was just awful. I really wanted to like it too because it was very easy to make and I love pasta with zucchini. Perhaps I did something wrong?
Anonymous
Los Angeles
2/12/2002
