Melted Zucchini Lemon Pasta

by: Melted Zucchini Lemon Pasta

Compatible Wolf Appliances:

Introduction

This is the perfect dish to make at the height of summer when you have more zucchini than you know what to do with and you just can’t make another zucchini bread. This dish uses zucchini in a completely unique way. When the zucchini is cooked long enough in the butter and olive oil, it becomes completely tender, melty, and caramelized. The lemon, in contrast, wakes up and brightens the whole dish.

Yeilds
4
Servings
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
40-45
minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds zucchini, coarsely grated (about 3 large zucchini)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves stems reserved, plus more for serving
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 pound short pasta
  • 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino romano (about 1/2 ounce), plus more for serving
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice

Instructions

In a large (at least 12-inch) skillet on a Wolf Burner over medium heat, melt the butter and oil. When it’s foaming, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for about 60 seconds until softened and fragrant. Add the zucchini, basil stems, and half the basil leaves. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the zucchini starts to sizzle, 10-15 minutes, stirring every so often. After 15 minutes add the lemon zest, basil, and lemon juice.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season heavily with salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid. If the zucchini is ready before the pasta, keep cooking it.

After adding the lemon zest, basil, and lemon juice to the zucchini, continue to cook until the zucchini is very soft, dark green, and reduced to about 1 cup, another 20 to 25 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir, scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Repeat anytime more browning occurs. If you see burning, deglaze with water and lower the heat.

Remove the herb stems from the zucchini. Reduce the heat on the zucchini to medium-low. Add the pasta, 1 cup of pasta water, and the pecorino. Stir until the pasta is glossy and saucy. Add more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Serve with more basil, pecorino, and black pepper.