Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Gwyneth Paltrow's Fried-Zucchini Spaghetti

Is it just me or does every celebrity have a cookbook these days? Of course, I'm not going to let that stop me from checking out their cookbooks and trying their recipes. It's just makes me think, maybe I should write one. HA! Anyway,  I recently watched Gwyneth Paltrow on The Rachael Ray Show and she made a popular recipe that I think we all have our own version of, Pasta with Zucchini. Gwyneth uses lemon and basil that I think are great additions but she doesn't use any garlic. I just couldn't make this dish without it and sauteed some garlic in fresh extra virgin olive oil after the zucchini was fried. I liked tossing the zucchini in flour because it helped keep the zucchini crispy but it clouded the oil. That's not a problem just replace the oil if you come across the same issue. The recipe suggests serving with lemon wedges which is a nice touch but I also added the juice of one lemon to the oil.

Gwyneth's recipe was published in Food and Wine Magazine April 2011.

Fried-Zucchini Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 pound small zucchini, very thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 pound spaghetti
1 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving



Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the flour and a pinch of salt. In a very large skillet, heat half of the oil until shimmering. Add half of the zucchini and fry over high heat, turning once or twice, until browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the zucchini to a paper towel–lined wire rack and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining oil and zucchini.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Return the pasta to the pot and toss with the 1 cup of cheese, the basil and a generous pinch of pepper. Add the reserved pasta water a little at a time, tossing well to coat. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and top with the crispy zucchini. Serve right away with lemon wedges and additional cheese.
  Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

7 comments:

Ellie said...

Delishious. Top with some toasted breadcrumbs and cheese...yum!

Megan said...

Ooh, I am planning to make this as soon as I can get zucchini at the farmers market. I always use garlic in my own version too.

Patti T. said...

I saw this recipe in Food and Wine, it sounded good to me.

Niki said...

Michelle, i cannot wait to try this recipe!! I have some zucchini, so i might have to try it this week.

Elizabeth said...

Looks delicious - I saw her making this on the Rachael Ray show and thought it looked great.

thekitchenaffaire said...

Woww... Awesome.. Loved the way it came out :D I have to try this out :)

Heather said...

Loved this recipe book by Gwyneth and love this site! I am not half/quarter/or ANY Italian, but I sure can eat Italian food like I am! Excited to try some new stuff.=) I am your newest follower. bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com