Author Notes
A chef friend came back from Little Italy last week raving about a pasta dish that had me literally drooling as I scribbled down the description, which I turned into my version of a recipe. Then I ate the entire thing. And then I made it again. —Erin Jeanne McDowell
Ingredients
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2 handfuls
bucatini
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2 small
zucchinis
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3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
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4 cloves
garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons
good balsamic vinegar
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reserved pasta water, as needed
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2 tablespoons
heavy cream, or more if you're feeling naughty
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salt and fresh ground pepper
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parmigianno reggiano, to taste
Directions
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Cook the bucatini in boiling salted water until al dente, 6-8 minutes. Reserve at least 2 cups of pasta water.
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Grate the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the zucchini and cook over low heat until it begins to caramelize a bit, 7-9 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
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Add the balsamic vinegar and stir well to combine. Add a ladleful of warm pasta water and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce until the mixture resembles a sauce, but don't reduce rapidly so as to not turn the zucchini into mush - the zucchini should still have texture, despite being part of a sauce. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce is formed to your liking.
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Add the cream, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the bucatini and toss well to combine. Serve garnished generously with parmesan.
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!
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