Pasta with Crema Di Zucchine & Lemon Zest
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We’ve just said goodbye to spring and summer has come strolling into the groves.
The bees and dragonflies dart among the peach, cherry, and apricot trees that grow alongside our olive trees.
Occasionally, a friendly herd of Lipizzan horses, who were gifted to our region in 1919, stops by to rest in the shade of the olive branches.
We’ve heard from a couple of you that you may visit us this summer and fall, and we can’t wait to show you just how beautiful the groves are this time of year.
Wherever you are, we’re wishing you warm summer afternoons filled with la vita dolce!
If you’re looking for an Italian summer dish to enjoy this weekend, we can’t recommend enough our chef’s Pasta Crema Di Zucchine with Lemon Zest...
Ingredients
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2 Medium Zucchini
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Handful of Grated Pecorino Cheese (parmigiano works as well, though the flavor is slightly milder)
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6.5oz (180g) long pasta (fresh egg tagliolini, spaghetti, etc.
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to taste
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1 Garlic Clove
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Zest of ½ a Lemon
Directions
Wash and slice the zucchini into disks, roughly 1/8 inch thick.
Press the garlic. Place in a large pan with two tablespoons of olive oil. Let it soften and brown over a low flame.
Add the zucchini slices and sauté for a few minutes. Then, cover with a lid and cook until soft (between 10 and 15 minutes).
Once cooked, remove the zucchini and garlic from the pan and place into a blender. Add half of the pecorino (and a few tablespoons of olive oil if needed). Set the sauté pan aside to use again.
Blend until smooth. Add more pecorino or olive oil to taste, and place to one side.
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and throw in the pasta, cooking only until two minutes before it is ready (still al dente).
Reserve a few cups of the pasta water.
Pour the zucchini mix back into the sauté pan. Turn the flame to low and add a ladle of the pasta’s cooking water to dilute it.
Drop the pasta in the pan with the zucchini cream.
Turn the flame onto high and gradually add up to another a cup of the cooking water until the pasta reaches your desired consistency, all the while mixing vigorously.
Plate the pasta and top with a sprinkle of lemon zest and freshly ground pepper!
