Zucchini Flower Pasta, Risotto Style
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
35 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
620 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mediterranean, Italian
Zucchini Flower Pasta, Risotto Style
Description
This recipe begins by preparing zucchini flowers and cubed zucchini, sautéing zucchini rounds and cubes separately to maintain texture. Corallini pasta is toasted briefly in olive oil then simmered in vegetable broth gradually, replicating risotto-style cooking that releases starches for a creamy consistency. When pasta nears doneness, sautéed zucchini cubes and fresh zucchini flowers are stirred in along with butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
The pasta offers a tender, slightly creamy texture with the subtle sweetness of zucchini flowers and richness from butter and cheese. Stracciatella cheese or fresh ricotta is blended and dolloped on top for creaminess. Additional zucchini flowers garnish the plate for freshness and color.
Leftover pasta keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days but will soften over time. Baking leftovers with grated Parmesan and butter adds flavor and texture. Variations include substituting orzo for pasta and using burrata instead of stracciatella.
Ingredients
- 300 g corallini pasta (10oz) or other small pasta like orzo
- 2-3 zucchini
- 8 zucchini flowers
- 500 ml vegetable broth 2 cups (you may need less)
- 50 g butter (2oz) unsalted
- 50 g parmigiano reggiano grated (2oz) vegetarians should use cheese made without animal rennet.
- 200 g stracciatella cheese 7oz) or fresh ricotta, fresh
- salt to taste
- 3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Wash the zucchini and cut into small cubes. I made some zucchini rounds for decoration. Cut the flowers in half and remove the stamens. Cream the Stracciatella using a immersion blender
Cook the zucchini
- Sauté the zucchini rounds and then the cubes in a frying pan with olive oil. Place the rounds on kitchen paper to absorb some of the oil.
Cook the pasta
- Put 2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a deep pan and toast the corallini pasta for a few moments. Add some hot vegetable broth a little at a time and cook the pasta. You will need to keep stirring and adding more broth as necessary (same as making a risotto) until the pasta is almost cooked.
- Then add the zucchini cubes to the pasta and mix together.
Finish and serve
- When the pasta is ready take off the heat and mix in some zucchini flowers. Then mix in in the butter and Parmigiano. Plate and serve with a tablespoon of creamed stracciatelle on top plus some uncooked zucchini flowers and the zucchini rounds.
Notes
- Corallini or orzo pasta works well for the risotto-style cooking method.
- Use stracciatella cheese, or substitute creamy fresh cheeses like ricotta or burrata.
- Leftovers keep refrigerated 2-3 days; reheating baked with Parmesan and butter enhances flavor.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 620 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 620kcal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 63g | 21% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 61mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 832mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 490mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 1093IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 286mg | 29% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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