Trofie pasta with creamy zucchini and pancetta

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PRESENTATION

The combination of trofie pasta and pesto has become a veritable part of Italy’s culinary heritage, but here at GialloZafferano, we love to experiment, so we drew inspiration from a winning formula to create an original dish using trofie pasta. Zucchini and pancetta are, in fact, two simple and versatile ingredients that perfectly complement one another in the harmonious balance they create between sweetness and richness. Today’s recipe combines trofie pasta with a creamy zucchini and pancetta. Trofie are a delicious type of pasta from Liguria that really hold a sauce or cream, and in this recipe, we’ve paired them with a subtle, delicate zucchini cream, enhanced with the strong, smoky notes from the pancetta. This tasty first course is decorated with a cascade of flavorful diced pancetta and zucchini that will make the dish even more appealing, not only to the palate but also to the eye. Serve up this trofie pasta with creamy zucchini and pancetta and you’ll definitely have everyone coming back for seconds – and thirds!

INGREDIENTS
Trofie pasta 11 oz (320 g)
Zucchini 1.5 lbs (650 g)
Smoked pancetta 3.5 oz (100 g)
Garlic 1 clove
Extra virgin olive oil 0.3 cup (60 g)
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Trofie pasta with creamy zucchini and pancetta

To prepare the trofie pasta with creamy zucchini and pancetta, first boil a pot of water to cook the pasta. In the meantime, wash the zucchini, trim them, cut them in half lengthwise 1, then in half again, and finally slice them 2. Take the pancetta and cut it first into slices and then into strips 3.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the whole peeled garlic clove 4 and fry briefly, then add the pancetta and zucchini 5. Season with salt 6 and pepper and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t brown too much.

Once the required cooking time has passed 7, remove a ladleful of squash and pancetta from the pan and set aside for decoration. Remove the garlic. By this point, the water for the pasta will have come to a boil. Add some salt and cook the trofie for the time stated on the package 8. In the meantime, transfer the zucchini and pancetta mixture remaining in the pan to a tall, narrow container 9, add a couple of ladles of the pasta cooking water,

and blend with an immersion blender 10 until smooth and consistent 11. Pour the resulting cream back into the pan, with the heat off 12.

Once the trofie pasta is cooked al dente, drain and pour straight into the pan 13, and stir the sauce thoroughly. Finally, add the squash and pancetta that you’d set aside for decoration 14 and plate up: Your trofie pasta with creamy zucchini and pancetta is ready to be served 15!

Storage

The trofie pasta with creamy zucchini and pancetta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Not recommended for freezing.

Tips

If you’re not a pancetta fan, you could always replace it with speck. If you want to try a delicious variation, add some confit cherry tomatoes to bring a touch of color and flavor to your dish, or add sun-dried tomatoes, Taggiasca olives, and a few lumps of fresh ricotta cheese.

Interesting fact

Trofie are a type of pasta typical of the Liguria region, and specifically the area between Camogli and Bogliasco. Their name appears to stem from the term strufiggià, which in the Genoese dialect means “to rub” — a clear reference to the ancient art of making pasta by hand since this type of pasta was prepared by rubbing the dough on the work surface to give it its typical curled shape.