Zucchini with Prosciutto
My father used to grow zucchini in his backyard vegetable garden, and Mamma was always trying to find new ways to cook them, as the plants were so prolific
There was peperonata with zucchini, grilled zucchini, and stuffed zucchini. At the age of 87, she surprised us all with this rather delicious, buttery, zucchini dish, which she wrote down for me after we pronounced it was our new favourite way to eat zucchini. We had no idea where it emerged from, and it was only while writing this book that I found it in a Lisa Biondi cookbook. You need a kilo of zucchini for this recipe, so it's a great way to use up excess large overgrown zucchini. If your zucchini are overly large, I recommend scooping out the large seeds from the centre and trimming away the skin as well, which can be slightly bitter. This dish is tasty and delicate and can be served as a side to grilled chicken, or even tossed through pasta.
Serves (In A Pasta Sauce)
2–3
Serves (as a Side Dish)
4-6
Ingredients
- 1kg zucchini (courgettes)
- 70g unsalted butter
- 1 small white or brown onion, finely diced
- 125ml dry white wine
- 50g lean prosciutto, cut into small dice
- handful of grated parmesan
- Chopped parsley, for sprinkling
Method
Cut the zucchini into rounds about one centimetre thick. Cut each round into quarters and set aside.
Place 50g of the butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium–low heat. Cook the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden. Add the zucchini and cook over medium–high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring fairly frequently so the zucchini doesn’t burn.
Stir in the wine and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Cook for a couple of minutes, to allow some of the wine to evaporate, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until the zucchini is tender, stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining butter and turn the heat to high for a few minutes, to further caramelise the zucchini. Stir in the prosciutto and parmesan and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Recipe extracted from At Nonna’s Table by Paola Bacchia
