Smashed Zucchini Pasta Sauce
I have killed a bamboo plant, a bowl of succulents and many many orchids and yet there are people in this world that can grow a zucchini to the size of a baseball bat without even trying. My black thumb is the reason we don’t have a garden, which hardly seems fair given all the fun stuff I would cook with the bounty of insanely convenient fresh local produce they provide. Instead, I rely on the generosity of those more talented than myself, as I recently found myself to be the lucky recipient of some of the biggest zucchini I have ever seen in my entire life.
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Zucchini season is my favorite season and this recipe always comes to mind whenever anyone asks me what to do with their never ending bounty of fresh garden zukes. This smashed zucchini pasta sauce requires almost 5 pounds of squash, so it can help you clear through a nice chunk of your stash pretty quickly.
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This recipe comes straight from Milan, where an ex off mine studied abroad and learned it directly from the locals he befriended while in Italy and It’s literally the only good thing that came out of that relationship! 😂
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Toss it in pasta, serve it on grilled chicken, alongside fish, tofu or shrimp. I’ve even spread it on toast. Omit the cheese for a vegan version. This shit survived a 20-year-old breakup, a new relationship, a marriage, two kids and a few moves and if that doesn’t warrant a steady summer rotation in your repertoire, I don’t know what will!
STEP BY STEP PICTURES:
Smashed Zucchini Pasta Sauce
Ingredients:
- 5 - 6 medium zucchini, cut in half and then in ¼” slices (about 4 to 4.5 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 ½ to 2 cups water, approximately (more or less, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- ½ pound fettuccine, linguini or bucatini
Instructions:
- Put a large pan on your stovetop, preferably one that has high sides. Place the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes to a cold pan and turn the heat to medium. This slowly cooks the garlic and prevents it from burning quickly. Once the garlic becomes fragrant (about 30 seconds to a minute), that’s your cue to add in all the zucchini and toss well. Season with kosher salt. Saute for about 5 minutes, just to soften it and brown some of the squash.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the pan and turn the heat up to high. Now, you just let the zucchini and water in the pan boil down. As the zucchini starts to break down, occasionally smash the pieces with the back of your wooden spoon, about every 5 minutes or so. Once the water evaporates, add more water, ¼ cup at a time, and continue to smash the zucchini. The goal is to 1) have the zucchini completely smashed so you can no longer tell it was ever cut into half-moons and 2) all of the water is completely cooked off. If the water is gone before the zucchini has “melted”, just add more water! The entire process should take about 30 minutes, give or take. Once all the water is gone and the zucchini is fully smashed, let it cook on low for another few minutes just to set the flavor in and lightly brown it. If the water is gone before the zucchini has “melted”, just add more water!
- Remove from heat and fold in the Parmesan cheese. Taste, and season with more kosher salt, if necessary.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add pasta. When finished cooking according to the timing on the box, drain making sure to save about ½ cup of cooking water.
- To serve, toss the hot pasta with the sauce, adding a little of reserved pasta cooking water (about ¼ cup) to help it stick to the noodles. Garnish with more Parmesan Cheese and transfer to a platter before serving.