Category: Pasta

Zucchini Pasta

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Total time: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2
Ingredients:

  • 6oz Pasta
  • 4 Zucchini
  • 3.5oz Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Shallot
  • 1 Shot Glass White Wine
  • 1 Spoon Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Prepare all your ingredients and set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. You can prepare the sauce in the time it takes for the water to boil and the pasta to cook. You can use any kind of pasta you like.
  2. Mince one small shallot (I always prefer to use shallots because they are tastier, but if you have any other kind of onion at home that’s ok too) and set it in a frying pan. Wait before you turn on the fire otherwise it will burn in the time it takes you to prepare the zucchini.
  3. Take the zucchini and dice them. My advice when you select your zucchini is the smaller they are the better they taste. Big zucchini may look appetizing, but they’re actually less savory. To make you see how small mine are I’ve put a fork in the picture to give you an idea of the dimensions.
  4. When you’re done dicing the zucchini brown the shallot in the pan adding a spoon of olive oil.
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  5. After a couple of minutes add the zucchini.
  6. When the zucchini begin to brown add the white wine and let it reduce. (If you don’t have white wine you can substitute with beer)
  7. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt (If you like you can add a pinch of pepper too).
  8. Whenever the water starts to boil, salt it and put the pasta in. I always suggest that you use the shortest time indicated on the package for ‘very firm’ or ‘al dente’ pasta.
  9. If in the time it takes for the pasta to cook the zucchini sauce dries up too much, lower the fire to medium and add one small ladle at the time of the pasta’s cooking water, if the water evaporates before the pasta is ready repeat as needed. Add small quantities of water each time because when you dry the pasta you should not have water in the pan.
  10. While the pasta cooks, take the parmesan cheese and if it’s not already grated, grate it. You can buy the cheese already grated, but I find that the quality is better if you buy a solid piece. To grate it I simply cut it in small cubes, throw them in the food processor, and keep it on until the grain is right.
  11. When the pasta is cooked drain it and throw it in the pan.
  12. Add the majority of the grated cheese and mix for a minute or two until the cheese is melted.
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  13. Plate the pasta, sprinkle each plate with the remaining cheese, add a pinch of black pepper, and serve.

Zucchini Pasta Recipe by Camilla Isley

Salmon Pasta

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Total time: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2
Ingredients:

  • 6oz Pasta
  • 7.5oz  Salmon or Tuna
  • 1 Spoon Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • 3oz Cream Cheese or 6oz Cooking Cream
  • 1 Shallot
  • 1 Small Bunch Fresh Parsley
  • 1 Glass White Wine or Beer or Vodka
  1. Prepare all your ingredients and set a pot of water to boil for the pasta. You can prepare the sauce in the time it takes for the water to boil and the pasta to cook. For this kind of recipe I prefer to use long egg pasta, like angel air or fettuccine, but if you prefer regular pasta, short or long, that is fine too. The only difference would be that egg pasta cooks faster, so you’ll have to manage your timing a bit better.
  2. Mince one small shallot. I always prefer to use shallots because they are tastier, but if you have any other kind of onion at home that’s ok too.
  3. Brown the shallot in a skillet adding a spoon of olive oil.
  4. After a couple of minutes add the salmon (you can substitute with tuna, the recipe works just as well) and break it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. You can use fresh salmon (skin it first) or canned salmon/tuna.
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  5. Wait about two minutes, add the white wine, and let it reduce. (If you don’t have wine you can substitute with beer or vodka) Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (If you like you can add a pinch of pepper too).
  6. If you’re using regular pasta (8-12 min cooking time) this would be a good moment to salt the boiling water and put the pasta in. I always suggest to use the shortest time indicated on the package for ‘very firm’ or ‘al dente’ pasta.As blending ingredient I’m using cream cheese, this is the lighter healthier option. I usually use fat-free or 2x protein. But if you’re looking for a tastier meal rather than saving on calories you can use cooking cream instead. If you’re using the cooking cream or whipped cream cheese put in 6oz. If you’re using regular cream cheese put 3oz in a bowl and add one or two ladles of the pasta’s cooking water (after you’ve salted it). Squash and mix with a fork until you have a mostly homogeneous white creamy liquid.
  7. Add the cream to the rest of the ingredients in the skillet and mix.
  8. Lower the fire to a medium-low.
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  9. If you’re using egg pasta (3-4 minutes cooking time) put it in the boiling water about now.
  10. Take the small bunch of parsley and mince it. Personally I prefer to simply cut the leaves in small pieces with kitchen scissors as I find it much easier, especially when like in this recipe we don’t need much.
  11. When the pasta is cooked drain it. If you’re using egg pasta save about a ½ a cup.
  12. Throw the pasta in the skillet, and mix for a minute or two. (If you have egg pasta add the saved cooking water, it will ‘drink’ it.)
  13. Plate the pasta, scoop some of the salmon from the skillet, it usually gather at the sides, and top the pasta with it.
  14. Sprinkle with the minced parsley and serve.
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The last pic is an example with Tuna and short pasta…

Salmon Pasta Recipe by Camilla Isley