Here’s another hearty but healthy recipe for the New Year! Cathie Canepa is the most slender food obsessed woman I know. I would kill for that metabolism. We both ascribe to Nora Ephron’s philosophy that “You should always be thinking about what you are going to eat next.” This is one of her favorite pasta recipes, and when I heard it contained grated zucchini I gently nagged her until she put the recipe in my mailbox.
There are so many flavors in every bite; briny capers, piquant Greek olives, garlic, red pepper flakes and the under note of anchovies. So much going on here that the last thing you are thinking when you eat this is “What a healthy meal!” It would hold up well with a whole wheat pasta, making for a really satisfying dish. I would start with 1/4 red pepper flakes and add more if you like it really spicy. Cathie said that like her Italian grandmother she adds chicken broth for an extra layer of flavor, and sometimes an extra small can of chopped tomatoes and more capers. The second time I made this I followed that advice and liked it even better.
1 tbs. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium zucchini, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 anchovy fillets from a can, mashed with a fork
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
2 Tbs. capers, drained
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
16 oz. hot cooked spaghetti
1 oz. grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute one minute. Add zucchini and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in anchovies. Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, olives and capers; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil. Serve over spaghetti with cheese. Serves 6.
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