Adapted from The Silver Spoon Pasta published by Phaidon
Italians love zucchini, and this recipe is standard summer fare for the fresh zucchini and tomatoes from the garden. Cook the pasta until it is ‘al dente’, meaning “to the tooth”, which means still a bit firm. Use fresh mozzarella if you can. If you want to leave out the cheeses you certainly could- it will still be delicious! This one should get the kids to eat their vegetables.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled, whole
1 small onion, peeled and left whole
2 fresh sage leaves
1 celery stalk
3 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2-2/3 cups thinly sliced zucchini
12 ounces spaghetti
5 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the garlic clove, whole onion, sage leaves and the celery stalk. Cook over low heat for five minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium heat, then add the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the onion, garlic, celery stalk and the sage. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water until al dente, then drain and return to the pan. Toss with the sauce, mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese and serve.
