ZUCCHINI AND SPINACH PASTINA..FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS

 Stop stressing over what to do with “all those zucchini” your garden is producing.  Remember the Winter will come and you’ll be looking at a bleak frozen patch of ground soon enough wishing Summer’s bounty was still showering you with fresh produce.  I get it though.  Most people have only a few zucchini recipes they use and it could be tiresome eating/cooking the same old same old.  A Food Obsession will help you out.  Zucchini is pretty much a neutral tasting and fairly quick cooking vegetable.  So many possibilities and combinations.  One of my favorites is with pasta.  During a visit to Italy we were served a local pasta with a sauce of Zucchini, Clams, olive oil, basil and garlic.   Amazing.  Hopefully that gives you some ideas to run with besides the usual Fried Zucchini, Zucchini Pie, Zucchini Bread options.  I love it combined with Pastina, the little star shaped pasta that is pure ItalianAmerican comfort food.  Add some fine diced zucchini and spinach to a pot of pastina with butter and grated cheese and you have a delicious dish in front of you. Summer is short so let’s get cooking this dish I created with my ItalianAmerican roots.

TIME:   45 minutes                        SERVES: 6

1 Box (12 oz) PASTINA

6 cups water or chicken stock

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 cups finely chopped  spinach, Baby spinach is ideal.

2  medium sized  zucchini diced small

2 thin sliced cloves of garlic

Olive oil

1/2 cup Grated Pecorino Romano (Locatelli Brand) or Parmigiano, your choice

 

First make the vegetables.  They will take the longest.  In a heavy pan add some olive oil (about 2 tbs) and bring to medium heat.  Add the zucchini and season with salt. Saute this until the zucchini is soft, stirring occasionally. When the zucchini is soft (about 10 minutes ) add the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.  Remove from heat.  Move to the back of the stove.

Cook a box of Pastina according to the package directions.  When the Pastina is cooked add the butter and season again with salt and pepper. Blend well.  Add the zucchini and the spinach (yes, add the spinach raw..it will wilt nicely in the hot pastina) and blend well.  Now add the grated cheese.  Blend.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve.  That’s it.  Elevates a pot of pastina to a more substantial meal with good vegetables.

The beauty of this dish comes from the tiny dice and chop of the zucchini and spinach.  My preference is using Pecorino because that’s how I grew up…pastina and every other pasta/macaroni was showered in Pecorino.  Only once in a while would Mom buy Parmigiano.  Harkens back to the cooking traditions of the late 1800’s /early 1900’s in Southern Italy.  Today’s Italy North and South uses Parmigiano in most recipes.  Me, I like to hold onto the tastes of my family’s kitchen.  The choice is up to you.  Enjoy it either way!!  Buona Cucina!!!

 

 

 

 

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