Saturday, August 25, 2012

I cooked: Spaghetti with Zucchini and King Prawns

Zucchini, also known as courgette or baby marrow is part of the squash family which originated in the Americas. It is low in calories and contains folates (good for pregnant women), potassium (heart and blood pressure) and vitamin A (eyesight).   One of my favorite ways of eating is by cooking it with pasta.


Spaghetti with Zucchini and King Prawns


 

When choosing a zucchini at the shops, try to get one that is no longer than eight inches in length and one to two inches in diameter where seeds are soft and immature. Avoid longer or larger zucchini with cuts or blemishes.



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The first time I ate this dish was when we were holidaying in Venice, Italy. It was in a little trattoria in Guidecca, located immediately south of Venice - I have no idea what the name of the restaurant is since it was so long ago and I did not have the habit of photographing my food/restaurants at that time. But I did remember this dish - the pasta with zucchini and king prawns which was so delicious that I tried to recreate it as soon as I got back home. I successfully replicated the flavours of the dish (as I remembered it) and it has since graced our dining table countless times.

The view from the trattoria where we first ate this dish


St.Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy


View of Giudecca island from Venice


For this dish, you will need a good extra virgin olive oil since there is no sauce and the olive oil will act as the "sauce" to coat the pasta and is one of the dominating flavours. The zucchini has a delicate flavour which I feel goes very well paired with the king prawns. This pasta dish is a winner with both adults and kids.





Spaghetti with Zucchini and King Prawns
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 - 15 minutes
Serves 3

Ingredients
250g spaghetti pasta
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
15 king prawns, deveined with heads intact
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
1 zucchini, thinly sliced (approx. 250g)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)
A handful Italian parsley, finely chopped


1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil, then add spaghetti and cook according to pack instructions, to al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Marinate the prawns with Shaoxing wine, salt and pepper for 5 minutes.

3. In a large frying pan over high heat, add the olive oil and garlic and fry for 1 minute until lightly browned. Add the zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes, until it becomes slightly translucent.


4. Add the prawns and cook for 1 minute, or until the prawns turn to an orange hue (indicating that it is cooked). Pour the drained pasta in and mix well, then season with chicken stock granules (if using), salt and pepper. Add more olive oil, if necessary. Add the chopped parsley and then serve immediately.






Full set of photos can be viewed on my Facebook page here. 


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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 23 November 2013.

18 comments:

  1. The simplest things are sometimes the nicest :) this sounds good, clean and yummy. Will try, thanks for sharing. I must hope my boy will give the zucchinis a try!

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    1. My kids eat zucchini, so hopefully your son likes it too.

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  2. mmm, i must admit, i'm not a zucchini fan (it just doesn't do much for me, in terms of both taste and texture), but i can't remember if i've ever had it in a pasta. i ought to try it sometime! :D

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    1. I must try and convert you then, zucchini is really nice with pasta!

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  3. Zucchini is one of my fav veg. Such nice presentation of your dish. :-)

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    1. Thanks! ;) I also like it very much, but at one time it was difficult to buy it from the supermarkets.

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  4. Easy and delicious! I love zucchinis, will give this a try. Yes I am quite particular about the olive oil I use as well, always use the best... it really adds special flavor.

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    1. Same here, always get a good bottle, they last for ages anyway! And it makes everything taste so much better.

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  5. Hmmmm...I've got the prawns, maybe I can try this. Usually, pasta - that's my daughter's territory. Mine's more local, kampung stuff.

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  6. The pasta look healthy and yummy! :D
    I want to revisit Venice, I had very nice tiramisu there. hehehe

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    1. I love Venice, I love their gelato and I also had a very nice tiramisu there.

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  7. Love the simplicity of the dish and zucchini gives the bonus point! Next time I'd use Shao xing wine for my pasta dishes too as I never seem to have any wine left at home *sheepish smile*.

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    1. I do like to marinate seafood with Shaoxing wine cos it makes the meat more taut.

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  8. I love zucchini! Such a lovely no-frills pasta =)

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    1. Yeah sometimes simple is best! It has all the flavours and ingredients that I like.

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  9. This pasta sound so healthy and good, good for a diet plan.

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    1. Haha have to eat healthy with all the other "unhealthy" cake stuff I've been making. ;P

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