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Giant Pasta with Baby Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. your favorite pasta shape
  • 5-6 baby zucchini or 1 large sliced thin
  • 1 c. sliced leeks
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 lb. or more prosciutto or pancetta sliced thin*
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 c. parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. If using baby zucchini slice in half. If using regular zucchini, slice in thin slices. Brown the prosciutto or pancetta (or both) until brown and crispy. Remove to paper towel to drain.

  2. Put a couple tablespoons olive oil in skillet (I sometimes use half butter half olive oil) and saute the leeks and garlic until the leeks are almost translucent. Remove from skillet and then add a little more oil/butter; brown the zucchini on cut side only (if baby zucchini) and other zucchini brown just on either side. Only cook until brown because you don't want the zucchini to get soft.

  3. Bring large pot water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the pasta per package direction. Drain pasta, saving at least 1 cup of the pasta water to use if needed to make a sauce. Put the pasta in the skillet that you cooked the zucchini and prosciutto in and add in the zucchini, the crispy meat, and parmesan cheese. Pour in some of the pasta water and stir to make a sauce.

Recipe Notes

*The pancetta can be sliced thicker than the prosciutto and then cut in thin strips before frying.