I’m still enjoying the super-sweet zucchini at my farm stand and the perfect way to accentuate its sweet flavor is with some briny shellfish and sweet scallions.  The scallions at my farm stand were deep purple and particularly beautiful–they inspired me to make this dish.

I decided to saute my zucchini separately from the shrimp because zucchini take longer to cook than shrimp, which take almost no time at all.  Therefore, the zucchini and shallots were sauteed until lightly caramelized, then set aside while I made the rest of the dish.  The zucchini were then folded into the dish right before the pasta.  This is a refined, light and elegant pasta dish that is a beautiful main course by itself.

Tonight, I decided to start with a salad that features the same russian kale I served the other evening in my russian kale and beet salad.  This time, instead of beets, I used fresh, sweet peaches (see my prior post for the exact recipe, and substitute raw peaches for golden beets).  I got the idea for this salad from my friend Elle, who had it in a restaurant the other evening and texted me a photo of it.  It’s an appealing cross between a salad and a dessert.  Try it while peaches are still sweet and juicy–we won’t have them much longer.

Pasta with Shrimp and Zucchini

serves 4

1 lb dried fettucine

6 small (6″) zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4″ half-moons

1 medium shallot, sliced into 1/4″ pieces

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, cut into bite-size pieces

1 bunch scallions, only bottom third portion

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1/2 c white wine

12 mint leaves

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1/2 c olive oil

2 tbls fresh chopped parsley

salt to taste

In a broad skillet place zucchini and shallot in 1/4 cup olive oil and sprinkle generously with at least 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Saute for about 8 minutes, or until some slices are golden and caramelized, then set aside.

While pasta is cooking in plenty of salted water, in another skillet, saute garlic and scallion in remaining oil until they begin to become golden–about 2 minutes on low heat.

Raise heat to high and add shrimp, salt and some chili flakes.

Saute for 1 minute, then pour in wine and reduce for about 3 – 4 minutes.  Toss in zucchini.

Add cooked pasta, parsley and mint and toss with 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.  Taste for salt and serve immediately.