(photo: linguine fine with zucchini and red onion)
It’s only fitting that after posting about cucina povera that our part of northern New Jersey is hit with yet another apocalyptic event; namely, a freakish snow storm in October causing hundreds of tree limbs to crumble under the weight of several inches of heavy precipitation. Our small New Jersey town saw roofs collapsing, cars crushed, and homes without power for multiple days. Needless to say, incorporating “kitchen of the poor” techniques at home came in very handy.
An easy, tasty, and economical dish we cooked up during the aforementioned storm included linguine with zucchini and red onion. We had every ingredient in the house and it only required a single burner.
Ingredients:
- 4 medium sized zucchini, sliced into two inch pieces
- 1 medium sized red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 pound of linguine fine
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Grated cheese (Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano)
- Extra virgin olive oil
Process:
In a large pan, and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and saute the minced garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the diced red onion and stir. Cook the ingredients for a few minutes (or until the red onions become soft) and add the zucchini. Add salt and freshly ground pepper and stir well. Cook the zucchini until very soft. Add the cooked linguine to the pan with the zucchini, onion, and garlic. Stir well over a medium flame and add a bit of pasta water and fresh extra virgin olive oil. Add grated cheese and stir well.
