Rigatoni with pancetta, prawns and zucchini 

This is a first course based on vegetables and fish typical of Italian cuisine. The recipe that I propose, involves the use of frozen shrimps, but if you have the opportunity to take fresh ones so much the better. For this recipe you can choose different shapes of pasta. From this combination of sea and land, a cream will come out that will bind to your pasta making this first course exceptional.

Pasta with pancetta, zucchini and shrimps is definitely a must in Italian cuisine. A well-established combination, the recipe is a perfect combination of flavors and aromas of land and sea, which give rise to a balanced and very tasty sauce. The recipe is made in a short time, and really needs little attention, but what is important is to use fresh ingredients. I like to strengthen the flavor of the pancetta, shrimp and cook a little more than usual zucchini, so that when you sauté the pasta they will unravel giving a little creaminess to the entire preparation. If you do not want to prepare the shellfish you can wet the sauce with vegetable broth or hot water. Finally, you should not miss a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley or if you prefer fresh chopped basil leaves.

I used the zucchini, pancetta and shrimp sauce to season rigatoni pasta, but several other formats are fine, both long and short. The ones I prefer are trenette, paccheri, mezze maniche, farfalle, but I suggest you also try it with fresh pasta, especially tagliolini or maltagliati, a real treat! Pasta with zucchini, pancetta and shrimp is a dish that I prepare very often, both because everyone always likes it but also because with the addition each time of another ingredient as can be cherry tomatoes (cherry tomatoes, Pachino), bacon, cream, zucchini flowers, or simply saffron pistils, I propose a dish always different! Try to customize a bit and you will see the results!

The ingredients 

320 g rigatoni

300 g shrimp

350 g zucchini

pacetta to taste

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 pinch of chili pepper

1 sprig of parsley

extra virgin olive oil to taste

Procedure

We prepare the pasta with zucchini, pacetta and shrimp initially taking care of the shrimp that will be completely shelled, then we first remove the head and then the carapace including the tail, and put aside the shrimp. In a saucepan brown a clove of garlic crushed with a little oil, add the shrimp and let them brown. Add the parsley stalks the pancetta, cover with cold water and let it simmer over low heat until it is reduced by about half. Meanwhile we prepare the zucchini: we wash them, divide them in half lengthwise and slice them to a thickness of about 2-3 mm. Crush a clove of garlic and brown it with 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add the zucchini, salt lightly and let them cook with a lid over moderate heat until they are tender, but not faded. It will take approximately 15 minutes. In another pan, large enough to flip the pasta, fry the remaining garlic, which we have previously chopped, with about 3 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of chili. Add the shrimp, let it just brown, add a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Let it partially evaporate and add the zucchini, having the foresight to remove the garlic, let it flavor for a few minutes and then turn off the sauce. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, drain it al dente and pour it into the pan with the hot zucchini, pancetta and shrimp sauce. Add a ladle of cooking water and sauté everything until all the ingredients are well mixed together.

Serve the pasta with zucchini, pancetta and shrimp hot, and with a light sprinkling of chopped parsley