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.