Zucchini Pasta

This zucchini pasta recipe is loosely based on one found in Kathleen Flinn's The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. We got the book as a gift about a decade ago, and reading it back then had a major influence on my cooking. For one thing, it got me to switch to the "pinch" knife grip used by professional chefs. The book details Flinn's experience teaching cooking classes to a group of novice cooks. While I don't agree with everything in it, it's a good read for anyone who wants to get more creative in the kitchen. Rereading the book during the pandemic reminded me of an intriguing pasta dish that Flinn used to teach her students basic knife skills.

The basic concept is simple: cook zucchini for a long time, until it breaks down and becomes part of the sauce for the pasta. In principle, it's not far from my own crab pasta. Flinn's recipe uses a huge amount of zucchini relative to the pasta, which I've rebalanced. I also add some garlic, onions, and sausage to make it a complete, self-contained meal. The sausage I used for this dish are from Costco and are a staple in our house. They are fully cooked and easily frozen and reheated in a convection oven to add some meat to a meal with little effort. You can, of course, use any sausage you like, or none at all. Some fresh basil from the garden completes the dish, but can be left out if unavailable.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. zucchini (or more, if you want)
• 3/4 lb. yellow onion
• 1 oz. garlic (about 4 medium-sized cloves)
• 1 lb. dry pasta (penne or similar)
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for sautéing
• 6 links cooked sausage (optional)
• Handful fresh basil leaves (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated parmesan for serving

Instructions

Cut the zucchini into about a 1/2 inch dice. Peel onion and cut into thin strips, pole to pole. Mince garlic. In a large sauté pan, heat some oil (enough to thinly cover the bottom) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. While the zucchini cooks, get a pot of salted water boiling.

With about 8 minutes left to go on the vegetables, add the garlic and continue cooking. Drop the pasta into the boiling water. If using, start the sausage heating at 325 degrees F in a convection oven or heat in a separate pan. When the pasta is done (it should be a little undercooked), reserve two cups of the cooking water and drain the rest. Add the olive oil to the vegetables. Add the water 1/2 cup at a time, stirring to combine and reduce for a few minutes. 

Add the pasta, stir together, and cook a few more minutes, until pasta is soft well coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chiffonade the basil and slice the sausage. Stir both into the pasta. Serve with grated parmesan at the table.