Three Layer Cake

Zucchine (in Italian; zucchini in American, Australian and Canadian, courgette in the UK) is a great summer vegetable to use in a variety of dishes, cold and warm.  In season in Rome, you’ll see two types of zucchini:  the typical dark green, and the much lighter pale green called zucchine romanesche (Roman zucchine) which are often not smooth all the way around, but have “ridges” running the length of the vegetable, making them almost slightly star-shaped.  The best are found with the flowers still attached, and are neither too big nor too small. 

My first “catering” job was for a friend’s bed-ridden mother.  Their live-in nurse was on vacation and grocery stores were closed on this day in question.  I was given very short notice, and informed late at night, to prepare a three-course meal that would be good served cold.  I could only use what I had in my refrigerator, since the stores were already closed.  I prepared the first pasta below for the first course.  The variation with shrimp is a very popular dish on Roman menus, especially in the summer, and is also a quick and easy dish to fix when you’re low on time and ingredients.  The same for the third dish (with smoked bacon).
 

Pasta and Zucchine
(for four)

• 400g pasta
• 400g (about 1 lb.) zucchini, any type, best if cut into 2-inch long strips x ½ inch (5cm x 1.5cm),
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 pieces of dried red pepper or one fresh hot pepper diced
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley
• Olive oil
  

Add onion and red pepper to pan with oil, sauté until onion is translucent.  You may add a little more oil than usual because you will need it to dress the pasta.  Add zucchini and cook until desired firmness.  Discard garlic.  Add a handful of chopped basil and flat leaf parsley.  Poor entire pan contents over pasta in a large bowl.  Toss well.  Serve whenever you need to, it’s  good hot and cold.

Shrimp variation
300g frozen shrimp, 200g fresh shrimp 

Prepare as above.  If you like a tomato sauce, you may add 100 grams of crushed tomatoes, or halved cherry tomatoes with the zucchine.  After the zucchine have cooked for about 5 minutes, add the shrimp.  Cook until the shrimp are cooked and the zucchine are of desired firmness.

With pancetta (sweet or smoked bacon)
100g pancetta in cubes or thin short strips (or smoked bacon) 

Prepare as with original recipe, using little oil, adding the bacon halfway through, once the zucchine have lost some of their water.  If palatable, you may add a small amount of cream.  Alternatively, you can turn this into a zucchine carbonara by eliminating the onion, and after the pasta is cooked and drained, adding 2 whole eggs which have previously been beaten with 50g of parmesan, a pinch of salt, and lots of freshly ground pepper.  Add the zucchine at the end, after mixing the pasta and egg mixture.  If it's too runny, try tossing it in the pot in which you boiled the pasta, over low heat, for a few seconds.  If you choose the egg option, you should probably eat the dish immediately.

photo: Jose Carlos Pires Pireira