This super green pasta was an unexpected delight. I had some white zucchinis fresh from the garden and was looking for ideas when I stumbled on this recipe by Adam Liaw published in The Sydney Morning Herald’s goodfood section. I used wholemeal (BioNature) linguini – delicious!
Sauté 2½ cups of baby spinach leaves in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until just wilted and allow to cool. When cooled, use a blender or small food processor to make a smooth purée and set aside. Cook 250g of pasta in boiling salted water according to instructions. When just tender, drain (retaining some of the cooking water) and run under a cold tap to stop the cooking process. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and a little olive oil in a large frypan or saucepan. Fry a finely chopped small onion, 2-3 finely chopped anchovies and 1-2 minced cloves of garlic until soft and fragrant. Add 4-5 small white zucchinis (or 2 -3 larger ones) cut into fine matchsticks and season with salt. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes until softening. Add the pasta and the spinach purée and stir to combine, adding a little pasta water if needed. Salt to taste and when everything is hot, remove from the heat and serve topped with a drizzle of good olive oil and some freshly grated parmesan.
michelle picker cooks 