This dish is best the day it is made because the bread crumbs will be crunchy and play nicely off the softness of the zucchini. Leftovers will lose a bit of the crunch.
Serves 6
15
minutes preparation time
30 minutes cooking time
5 tablespoons
butter, divided
1 1/2 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs, preferably
homemade*
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3
tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium zucchini, julienned
1 pound spaghetti
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the bread crumbs and toss them until they are completely coated in the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they have deepened in color and are crisp, about 10 minutes. Pour them into a large bowl and add the garlic, parmesan, parsley, and salt.
Wipe out the pan you used for the bread crumbs (no sense getting another pan dirty). Return the pan to medium heat and add the remaining butter. Let it cook for about about 2 minutes, just until it begins to brown. Add the zucchini and saute until the zucchini is tender and the butter is browned and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, add the pasta and cook until al dente. When the pasta has cooked, drain it and toss it immediately with the bread crumbs and zucchini.Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
* To make bread crumbs, whirl a few pieces of crusty bread in a food processor until they are finely chopped. I like them to be a bit coarse or a variety of sizes because I think they make the texture more interesting, but you can whirl them longer if you'd like to make them finer.