I can’t count the number of times I have planned a light salad for dinner, but then my husband calls asking, “Can we have pasta tonight?” Therefore, I am always trying ideas for lighter pasta dishes that will satisfy his request, but are not ground beef and tomato sauce. This recipe was the result of one of those phone calls and leftover zucchini from making a summer vegetable tian two nights before.
This recipe is great for a satisfying, but light, weeknight pasta dinner. Feel free to leave out the shrimp for a vegetarian version or use chicken or ground turkey instead.
Spaghetti, Zucchini and Shrimp
Servings: 4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: about 20 minutes
1-pound (450 g) zucchini, sliced thinly (about ¼-inch) crosswise
¼ cup (35 g) flour
½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
Salt
1-pound (500 g) spaghetti (I used whole grain)
1 tablespoon (25 g) butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion
½ pound (250 g) or about 20 medium-sized shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined
1 cup (90 g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Reserved pasta water*
½ cup (a handful) fresh basil leaves, torn in pieces
Salt and pepper
Toss the sliced zucchini with the flour and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Heat half the olive oil over high heat in a very large skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add half the zucchini and fry, turning once, for about 5 minutes or until both sides are lightly browned. Transfer the zucchini to a sheet of paper towel. Add the rest of the oil to the skillet and repeat for the remaining zucchini slices. Season them with salt and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti until al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water. Before draining, take 1 cup of the pasta cooking water* out and set aside. Drain the spaghetti, running cold water over it.
Roughly chop the onion. In the large pot, heat one tablespoon of butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until translucent and add the peeled shrimp. Cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.
Add the pasta to the pot with 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, the basil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Turn the heat on low and add the reserved pasta water, little by little, tossing everything together to coat evenly. If it seems a little dry, add a little olive oil or butter.
Transfer the pasta to individual bowls and top with the zucchini slices. Serve with extra Parmesan and slices of lemon.
And bon appétit!
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