4 very Italian pasta recipes for runners

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We have selected proven and really delicious pasta recipes that Italians themselves constantly use.

The last time I was in Italy was 13 years ago and I remember well how surprised I was by their cuisine. Especially pizza, since for me then it could be only four types: just margarita with tomatoes, pizza with meat (sausage, veal, etc.), pizza with vegetables (all vegetarian options), pizza with seafood and pizza "4 cheese "- this, in general, was all my meager culinary knowledge.

But when I got there, I learned that pizza can be very different! So much so that some toppings for pizza toppings would never have crossed my mind. However, Italians are very fond of pizza with potatoes (and there are several types), with cheese and zucchini flowers, with onions and anchovies … but with what they just do not do it! The same goes for pasta - there are a lot of unusual combinations that actually turn out to be very tasty. Although, no, I'm lying - sometimes it is simply impossible to eat them!

But I asked my mother, and she picked me up proven and really delicious recipes that Italians themselves constantly use! So grab four healthy, delicious and very Italian pasta recipes from a third generation Roman woman.;)

Let me remind you that before difficult races, organizers often arrange so-called pasta parties, where participants have the opportunity to stock up on carbohydrates before a difficult race. And it's also simple and very, very tasty!

Pasta with zucchini and smoked salmon

Ingredients: 3-4 small or two medium zucchini, 1 onion, pasta of your choice (we did it with noodles), 100 g of smoked salmon or any other red fish, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil for frying.

Cooking. Peel and finely chop the onion, cut the zucchini into thin slices (if large, then choose a more acceptable option for yourself), heat the olive oil in a pan. The onion goes first to the pan, and after it begins to brown, add zucchini, salt and pepper to taste.

While the vegetables are roasting, put a saucepan of pasta water on the fire and cut the smoked fish into small pieces. Salt the boiled water and add the paste there.

Add fish to almost ready-made zucchini with onions and continue to simmer over low heat for literally 30 seconds, that is, so that the fish picks up at least a little and impregnates the vegetables with its taste.

Cook the pasta for as long as indicated on the package (it differs for different types of pasta), taste and drain the water, leaving at least 2 tablespoons. This water will need to be added to the vegetables so that the pasta is not very dry in the end.

Add the finished pasta to the pan to the zucchini, onion and fish and mix everything well. I'm not sure if it's worth adding grated Parmesan to it, as I personally ate it without cheese, and it was very tasty.

Red smoked fish can be replaced with shrimps, and onions with garlic. Then you will first need to throw zucchini into the pan, then after about five minutes add finely chopped garlic there and simmer. And when there are literally five minutes left until cooked, add shrimps to the zucchini. Everything. And in the same way, add a couple of tablespoons of water that remains from cooking the pasta for juiciness.

Pasta with eggplant and fish

Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants, 2 small fish fillets (or one large), 2-3 medium tomatoes, pasta of your choice, salt and pepper to taste, 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil, fresh basil and parmesan for garnish.

Cooking. Defrost the fish fillets and cut into small pieces, cut the eggplants and tomatoes into cubes, put water for the pasta.

Fry the eggplants in a preheated skillet and, when they are almost ready, add the diced tomatoes. As for the fish, it can be fried in a separate pan to speed up the cooking process. Remember that eggplants will instantly absorb all the oil, but if you have a good skillet, they won't burn and you don't need to add extra fat.

Add ready-made fish to ready-made vegetables, salt and pepper everything and mix well. Then add a couple of tablespoons of water left over from cooking the pasta and the pasta itself. Before serving, add a few fresh basil leaves and Parmesan for beauty and taste.

Personally, I love the combination of eggplant and fish with a bit of garlic, so I took a step back from the recipe Sylvia shared and added one clove of garlic.

Pasta with cream of cottage cheese, eggplant, pepper and pine nuts

Ingredients: pasta of your choice, 1 large bell pepper, 1 eggplant (there are two in the photo, but I tell you for sure - take one!), a bunch of fresh basil, 2-3 medium tomatoes or tomato paste, 100 g of pine nuts, 100 g of cottage cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking. Cut the eggplants and peppers into small pieces. Preheat the pan, put the eggplants in it. In parallel, as always, the pasta is being prepared. After 10 minutes, add bell peppers to the eggplants and fry the vegetables until tender. Just a minute before removing the pan from the heat, add chopped tomatoes or tomato paste.

Transfer the cooled vegetable mixture to a blender, add basil, pine nuts and cottage cheese there and grind. The consistency can be both creamy and coarser, that is, when large pieces come across. Add the finished mixture to the paste and stir well. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan before serving.

In theory, you should have an orange cream, but it all depends on the brightness of the peppers and tomatoes. I ended up with a light pink, as I used too many eggplants, which "ate" most of the light. If you add more bright red peppers, the mixture will be brighter in color.

Sicilian Pesto Pasta

Ingredients: pasta of your choice, 500 g of tomatoes, 100 g of cottage cheese, 100 g of pine nuts, 150 ml of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, a bunch of basil, 100 g of Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking. This pesto is prepared in the same way as the standard green version. Before adding tomatoes to a blender, peel them, cut them and remove the seeds. In order to remove the skin, cut them quite a bit from above, cross to cross, put them in a deep bowl or saucepan and pour boiling water over for just a minute. Then drain the hot water and pour over the tomatoes with very cold water (you can put a pot of water in the refrigerator or freezer in advance). The colder the water, the easier it will be to peel off the skin.

Put the peeled tomatoes in a blender, add olive oil, nuts, parmesan, garlic, basil, cottage cheese and a little salt and pepper there. Grind everything until smooth and taste. Add if it seems to you that something is missing (any ingredient). Mix the finished pesto with the boiled pasta.

So far, all the Italian novelties. To be continued.;)