Pasta with Zucchini Cream and Speck

Here’s a delicious Italian recipe that combines the delicate flavor of zucchini with the smoky taste of speck. It’s a simple yet flavorful dish.

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (penne, spaghetti, or fettuccine, according to preference)
• 3-4 medium zucchini
• 100 g of speck, cut into strips
• 1 small onion
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 200 ml of cooking cream (or vegetable cream for a lighter version)
• grated Parmesan cheese to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil (optional, for garnish)

Preparation

1. Wash the zucchini and slice them into thin rounds or dice them, as per your preference.
2. Finely chop the onion and let it soften in a pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Add the zucchini to the pan and sauté them over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to become tender.
4. Meanwhile, boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta al dente, following the package instructions.
5. In a separate pan, lightly brown the speck strips until they become crispy. Then set the speck aside.
6. When the zucchini are cooked, take a part (about one-third) and blend them with a hand mixer with some pasta cooking water to obtain a cream.
7. Add the cream to the zucchini cream and mix well, then season with salt and pepper.
8. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the whole zucchini, then add the zucchini cream and mix everything well.
9. Add the crispy speck strips, mixing gently to distribute them.
10. Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan and, if you like, some fresh basil leaves for a touch of color and freshness.

Curiosity

Speck is a typical product from South Tyrol and it’s a smoked, cured ham. Its strong flavor pairs particularly well with the sweetness of zucchini, creating a balance of flavors that makes this simple dish surprisingly delightful to the palate.