Sautéed Zucchini: This is a classic Roman recipe; it calls for prosciutto, which is nice but not absolutely necessary. You can also, if you are in a real pinch, omit the tomatoes, though if you do you should select baby zucchini because they will be more flavorful. If you do use baby zucchini, double the number from the 8-10 called for here, which would be for larger zucchini.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Zucchini (see below for amounts)
- Prosciutto (optional)
- Onion
- Olive oil
- Tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
For four to five people take 8-10 zucchini, trim off the ends, and cut them into rounds about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle them with salt and put them in a colander for an hour, to give the salt time to draw moisture from the slices. If you're strapped for time you can omit this step.
Cut an abundant 150 grams (6 ounces) of medium-sliced prosciutto into thin strips and sauté it in some oil (Ms. Boni calls for lard in her version) in a pot with a finely sliced onion. As soon as the onion is a light golden brown, add 1 pound (500 g) of blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes, add the zucchini, and finish cooking everything over a brisk flame, stirring every now and again. Should the pot begin to dry out add a few tablespoons of water or broth. The zucchini should be cooked but not falling apart, while the sauce should be fairly thick. When they're done check seasoning, adding some pepper if need be, as well as freshly minced parsley and basil to taste. This works equally well as a vegetarian main dish or a vegetable.
As an option, for giorni di magro (the meatless days decreed by the Church), you can substitute the prosciutto and onion with 2-3 boned anchovy filets (the kind packed in oil will work well) and a crushed clove of garlic; in this case you should sauté the anchovy and garlic for a couple of minutes in oil, then add the tomatoes (3/4 pound, 300 g) and proceed as above.
Yield: 4 servings Roman sautéed zucchini.
Cut an abundant 150 grams (6 ounces) of medium-sliced prosciutto into thin strips and sauté it in some oil (Ms. Boni calls for lard in her version) in a pot with a finely sliced onion. As soon as the onion is a light golden brown, add 1 pound (500 g) of blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes, add the zucchini, and finish cooking everything over a brisk flame, stirring every now and again. Should the pot begin to dry out add a few tablespoons of water or broth. The zucchini should be cooked but not falling apart, while the sauce should be fairly thick. When they're done check seasoning, adding some pepper if need be, as well as freshly minced parsley and basil to taste. This works equally well as a vegetarian main dish or a vegetable.
As an option, for giorni di magro (the meatless days decreed by the Church), you can substitute the prosciutto and onion with 2-3 boned anchovy filets (the kind packed in oil will work well) and a crushed clove of garlic; in this case you should sauté the anchovy and garlic for a couple of minutes in oil, then add the tomatoes (3/4 pound, 300 g) and proceed as above.
Yield: 4 servings Roman sautéed zucchini.
