Pasta alle zucchini

We were introduced to pasta alle zucchini by our lovely Roman friend Mariella. She was a bit dismissive when she served it for dinner one evening, describing it as simple family fare, but we found zucchini and egg to be a winning combination.

I’m pretty sure pasta alle zucchini is Mariella’s own creation – at any rate, I’ve never come across it anywhere else. While it may seem like too much zucchini at first, they will reduce greatly during the cooking, becoming soft and caramelized.

Pasta alle zucchini
(serves 4)

• 500g small zucchini (courgettes), very thinly sliced
• 3 Tb olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 500g penne or tortiglioni
• salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the zucchini and cook for about fifteen minutes, stirring regularly. The zucchini should be golden and soft to the point of falling apart. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper.
3. Boil the eggs for eight minutes, rinse under cold water and peel. Mash the eggs with a fork, along with a couple of spoonfuls of the parmesan.
4. While the zucchini is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta.
5. Drain the pasta and toss it with the mashed egg, then add the zucchini and the oil from the frying pan. Mix thoroughly, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese and serve.

Tags: courgette, eggs, Italian food, parmesan, vegetarian, zucchini