Pasta with fried zucchini ("Pasta chi cucuzzeddi fritti")

Pasta with "cucuzzeddi fritti" is a popular dish in Sicily, probably because the zucchini are grown and grow luxuriantly throughout the island . You'll never find, in fact, a Sicilian fruit and vegetables stand that does not sell these vegetables !!!! The recipe is very simple to implement and economical. There aren't big variations, you can use either long or short pasta and season it with the Parmesan or salted ricotta cheese, as required by the original recipe.

First wash the zucchini, remove the beginning and end but not the peel, then cut into slices not too thin. Now place them in a colander and sprinkle with salt. So zucchini will eliminate their bitter taste. After about half an hour wash the slices quickly and dry them thoroughly with paper towels, to avoid dangerous splashes of oil when fry them. Meanwhile, put on fire a large non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic, which will eliminate just golden. When the oil is hot place your zucchini and let them fry a little at a time. Remove them from the pan only when they are golden brown and place on a plate lined with paper towel to wipe the excess oil. The original recipe envisages to save the oil in which you fry the zucchini to season pasta, but if you prefer a lighter version of this dish you can use other extra virgin olive oil.

Pun on fire a pot with water and salt to cook pasta (you can use both the short pasta or that long, according to your taste). When the pasta is ready, drain and add to zucchini and oil (the oil in which you have fried zucchini ora other olive oil, as you prefer). Finally add the fresh basil, if you can find it, and grated cheese: Parmesan cheese for a milder taste, or salted ricotta, as required by tradition, for a more intense flavor .



I recommend to accompany this first course with a good dry white wine . This recipe is very simple to realize  and ideal for our vegetarian friends, but also for our vegan friends, if you do not have to use the grated cheese. In this case I recommend to add freshly ground black pepper.

Doses for 4 people:

- 500/1 lb  grams of pasta (short or long, as you prefer)
- 3 medium zucchini
- extra virgin olive oil (3/4 tablespoons)
- salt (4 teaspoons to salt zucchini; 2 tablespons for pasta)
- grated Parmesan or salted ricotta (3 teaspoons)
- fresh basil (big leaves quality)
- 1 clove of garlic
- ground black pepper (teaspoons)

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