Pasta with Zucchini, Pancetta and Saffron

Gramigna Bertozzi Guanciale, zucchine, zafferano e scaglie di Parmigiano
(Pasta with Zucchini, Pancetta and Saffron)

This recipe comes from Chef Alessandro Gozzi, the co- owner of Trattoria Bertozzi,  which is a short drive from central Bologna, Italy.

Bolognese cuisine is often called “Bologna la Grassa” (“Bologna the Fat”), since local ingredients both define the cooking and are inherently rich: Parmesan cheese, pork, veal, beef, butter, cream, truffles and cured meats such as prosciutto. Local menus are full of dishes such as cotoletta alla Bolognese (a thin slice of veal with prosciutto and cheese), ragù Bolognese (a pasta sauce and lasagna filling), brasato di manzo (braised beef) and large plates of salumi. Yet one also finds lighter, simpler dishes such as tagliatelle with onion ragout, tortellini in brodo, passatelli (a quick pasta made from breadcrumbs, Parmesan and eggs) or a large plate of sautéed wild mushrooms.

Chef Gozzi makes gramigna Bertozzi guanciale, zucchine, zafferano e scaglie di Parmigiano: a curly, macaroni-­style pasta with zucchini and a saffron cream sauce topped with shavings of Parmesan.

Due to the pandemic, I had to switch out a couple of ingredients—pancetta for the harder-to-find guanciale, and cavatappi, gemelli or a similar pasta for gramigna. Also, not wanting to waste half a yellow squash, I also threw that into the skillet as well, being a sustainable kitchen and all. My version of this dish pretty much followed the rest of the recipe as Chef Gozzi's presented in his original dish that is featured on the menu at his restaurant.

What you will end up with is a quick skillet pasta that transformed a pound of zucchini into a full-­flavored dish that echoes the essential lessons of Bolognese cuisine: background notes of cured meat, a counterpoint of flavor (saffron), something fresh (zucchini) and a bit of dairy and pasta cooking water to pull it all together. Oh, and a topping of Parmesan as a final flourish.

This dish is perfect for a light lunch of a late meal. Enjoy!

Adapted from
 Alessandro Gozzi ,Che f& Co-owner of
Trattoria Bertozzi
2020

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound zucchini
12 ounces short, curly pasta, such as cavatappi or gemelli
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ teaspoon saffron threads
3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
½ cup heavy cream
½ ounce shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:
Halve the zucchini lengthwise, the slice each half lengthwise into half rounds, about ¼ inch thick. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and 2 tablespoons salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water, then drain. In a small bowl, combine 1½ cups of the reserved water and the saffron; set aside the remaining ½ cup water.

While the pasta cooks, in a 12-inch skillet over medium, cook the pancetta and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered some of its fat and begins to crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic, then add the zucchini and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is fully crisped and the zucchini is lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the pasta and the saffron water to the skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook, stirring, until the sauce is lightly thickened and clings to the pasta, about 1 minute. Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper. If needed, stir in additional reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to create a lightly creamy sauce.

To serve, transfer to a serving bowl and top with shaved Parmesan.

Cook's Notes:
The original recipe uses guanciale (cured pork jowl). If you cannot find guanciale, feel free use a good quality meaty pancetta. Given that we are in the middle of the pandemic, I couldn't find either and wasn't to keen on ordering it since I have been experiencing difficulty with receiving packages, especially food, on time and not spoiled. So I opted for just some plain old thick cut bacon.

The original recipe also uses gramigna pasta, a tubular, curled shape from the Emilio-Romagna region. You made find cavatappi or gemelli more available and they both work just as well combining with the zucchini and catching the creamy sauce in its crevices. In this recipe I used casarecce, because this is what I had on hand in the pantry without making a special trip to the supermarket.

 Casarecce---(from casereccio which means “homemade“) originates from Sicily, and are short twists of pasta, which appear rolled up on themselves. Casarecce pasta is shaped like a very narrow, twisted and rolled tube. This pasta is best used when served with chunky sauce and can be used in a variety of casserole dishes.

 Don’t boil the pasta until al dente. Drain it when it has a little more bite than is desirable in the finished dish; the noodles will cook a bit more in the sauce. Also, don’t forget to reserve 2 cups of the cooking water before draining the pasta.

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