Ingredients:
- 1 small-to-medium sized zucchini per person (big ones will not do – avoid any with seeds in them)
- 1 bunch zucchini flowers, if you can get them
- 1 scallion or half a small onion and a generous handful of fresh chives (the combination I used in my sauce)
- 2 medium-sized very ripe tomatoes (cut in half, seeds taken out) extra-virgin olive oil, Q.B. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”)
- salt, Q.B.
- chives, Q.B.
- basil, Q.B.
- grated Parmesan cheese, Q.B.
- 1 chili pepper, cut into small pieces, seeds eliminated
Put the pasta water on to boil in large pot. Salt it. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds.
Cover bottom of medium-sized stainless steel frying pan with olive oil. Heat slightly, then add chili pepper tidbits, scallion or onion and chives, heating til golden. Add zucchini and simmer. Dice ripe seeded tomatoes into small pieces. Finely chop zucchini flowers and finely dice basil (I use my beloved “mezzaluna” or “half-moon” for the basil, given to Pino by an elderly woman in the early 1970”s!)
When zucchini are a bit tender but not soft, add diced tomatoes and basil and simmer a few minutes. Add zucchini flowers and simmer just a few minutes til tender.
Mix zucchini sauce into rigatoni or penne pasta. Add grated Parmesan cheese. Hint: when draining pasta, always save the water, i.e., il brodo so that you can add a touch to the pasta to make creamier, if needed. For this pasta, you can also add a touch of olive oil to make creamier.
Buon appetito!
