Tag Archives: zucchini

Pasta, Vegetarian

Zucchini Pasta Glassata

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Zucchini Pasta Glassata

Not too many ingredients but there’s a lot more work to this recipe than you might expect for a dish of pasta. I hope you think it’s worth it. Zucchini Pasta Glassata means glazed zucchini pasta. In the  glassata  cooking technique the pasta is partially cooked, as usual, in salted water but it’s finished in the liquid from a vegetable, in this case zucchini. It can also be made with beets or carrots but you’ll need a juicer for them.

Zucchini Pasta Glassata

Ingredients:
  • 4 or 5 zucchini depending on size
  • 16 oz. pasta – your choice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp. Parmigiana
Place a dishtowel in a large bowl and grate the zucchini on the mid-sized holes of a box grater.  Squeeze the liquid out of the towel into the bowl. You need one cup of liquid. Set aside the shredded zucchini and its liquid. You can freeze and save any extra.Zucchini Pasta Glassata
Zucchini Pasta Glassata

Zucchini Pasta Glassata

Cook the pasta as usual in salted water, but only for half the time recommended on the package. Reserve one cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
In the now empty pasta pot, bring the cup of zucchini liquid to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and lightly sauté the garlic, salt and pepper. Don’t brown it. Add 2 cups of the shredded zucchini and cook on medium for 8-10 minutes and add it to the pasta.Zucchini Pasta Glassata
If it seems too dry, add some or all of the reserved pasta water. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmigiana. Serve with additional grated cheese.

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Sides, Vegetarian

Zucchini Lasagna

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Zucchini Lasagna

No, it’s not really lasagna but that’s what my mother called it. I wasn’t too crazy about vegetables when I was a kid so she thought she’d make it sound more appetizing – zucchini lasagna.. I didn’t like it very much then but I love it now. It’s a good side dish, especially with pasta and not bad on a sandwich.
Zucchini Lasagna.
Zucchini Lasagna.
Pre-heat the oven to 350o.
Slice the zucchini diagonally, season with salt and black pepper, and dredge in flour. Lightly fry it in the oil, drain on paper towels and let it cool. Zucchini Lasagna.
Coat the bottom of a baking dish (we used a 12-inch oval) with some tomato sauce and add a layer of fried zucchini.Add some more sauce, dot it with ricotta and then a sprinkle of parmigiana.Zucchini Lasagna.
Repeat for 2 more layers but for the top layer don’t put any ricotta – just sauce, parmigiana and sprinkle the breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes. Finish under the broiler for 5 minutes, until the parmigiana and breadcrumbs form a crust.
Zucchini Lasagna.

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Soup, Vegetarian

Zucchini Soup

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Zucchini Soup

zucchini soup

My mother made zucchini soup often. My sister Rochelle still makes it and gave me the recipe.

Rochelle
Rochelle

ingredients

Preparation:

In a pot, sauté a finely chopped onion in oil until tender and transparent. Don’t brown. Add the zucchini and just cover with hot water – about 2 cups. Season to taste. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Scramble the eggs with the grated cheese and add to pot. Add one cup of marina sauce (see below) and stir until well mixed. Serve with additional cheese.

Zucchini flower
Zucchini flower

 

Marinara Sauce –

  •  ¼ cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic (cut in large pieces so they can easily be removed)
  • 1 ½ lbs of fresh tomatoes or 1 28oz con of crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Lightly brown garlic in the olive oil.  Add about a pound and a half of chopped fresh or one large can of crushed tomatoes (approx. 28 oz.).  Add salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Simmer ½ hour on medium heat and it’s done.

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