By Ippolita Douglas Scotti:
Sometimes when I want to read a recipe in one of the old cookbooks I inherited from my grandmother Contessa Maria Francesca, a little piece of paper—yellowed by time and stained with olive oil—will fall out. I can recognize my grandma's messy calligraphy, and to me these culinary relics are a pure treasure.
This fantastic recipe was in one of those notes. It is so simple and delicious and has all the genuine flavors of Southern Italy. When you want to surprise your guests with a true Italian pasta, this recipe is all you need.
You only need a few ingredients: fresh zucchini, garlic (a match made in heaven), chili pepper, a lot of extra virgin olive oil, and pasta.
If you want, you can garnish your pasta with fresh basil.
For the pasta: spaghetti, linguine, or any kind of short pasta will work!
Pasta con gli Zucchini
14 oz (400 g) pasta
4 large zucchini
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 fresh chili pepper, minced
½ glass of Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt
Basil
Parmesan
Cut the zucchini into thin slices.
Heat oil in a pan and add the zucchini with garlic and sliced chili pepper.
In another large pot, bring water to boil and cook the pasta al dente.
When the zucchini are slightly golden brown, drain the pasta and toss it with the fried zucchini.
Add salt and serve with grated Parmesan and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
Contessa Ippolita Douglas Scotti di Vigileno is a true Italian—born in Florence, Italy, from a long line of eccentric Italian aristocrats, she has traveled the world in search of adventure, romance, and magical, mouth-watering recipes. "Ippo" loves Italian history, especially as it relates to food. Author of There's a Beatle in My Soup, Curcuma e Zenzero (Ginger & Tumeric), 101 Perche Sulla Storia di Firenze (101 questions on Florence History), The Grimore, The Magic of the Moon, and Magic Herbs (all published by Newton Compton Publishers).