I love to cook and I love to eat good food.  Alas, the fact that I work 9-5 means that I can't do either as much as I would like, and like many I am often stuck at my desk during my lunch "hour".  My solution is to try to bring my lunch to work as much as I can.  This is my collection of recipes, all made quickly the night before (either as lunch or as dinner with leftovers that can be taken in).  Happy eating.

Saturday 22 August 2009

Zucchini "spaghetti" with broad beans, pancetta and lemon cream


Growing up, a favorite dinner was zucchini spaghetti, which was a clever way of getting us kiddies to eat our vegetables. Zucchini grated into pasta and cheese was not only palatable, but popular. I still crave it to this day. But this day, with zucchini on my hands and spaghetti on my mind, the cupboard was bare. No pasta to be had. What was I to do?

I decided to make my zucchini my spaghetti, and tart up the creamy element with some lemon and creme fraiche. Naturally, what goes with cream is bacon, so some pancetta I had wrapped up in the freezer had its moment. For a little textural contrast, a handful of broadbeans, and I finished the dish with some lemon zest.

The result was a soft but snappy base of vegetables with a decidedly adult sauce. The saltiness of the pancetta, lemony cream of the sauce, and refreshing zucchini base was more than the sum of its parts. I'm not sure I would have liked it as a child, but I certainly ate it up now.

Zucchini "spaghetti" with broad beans, pancetta and lemon cream

1/4 C. pancetta cubes
1 zucchini, cut into long, thin strips
1/3 C. broad beans
2 T. creme fraiche
1 tsp. lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon

Trim excess fat off pancetta and cook in a splash of olive oil until any remaining fat is rendered and pancetta browns.

Add broad beans and zucchini strips and cook until they soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Stir through creme fraiche and lemon juice, then heat through. Stir through lemon zest. Add a grinding of black pepper and any extra salt to taste.

Serves 1

17 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

They look creamy and delicious...

Angie's Recipes

lisaiscooking said...

I love zucchini ribbons like this! And, your lemon cream sounds fantastic.

Christo Gonzales said...

very tasty looking...nice job!

Selba said...

Wow! What a wonderful dish of spaghetti aka zucchini :)

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Nice adaptation!

Thanks for the tip for keeping fruit "afloat"! :) Monica, another commenter said the same thing. I'll have to give it a try my next time around.
~ingrid

Erica said...

I love all the ingredients!!! looks fantastic.

Erica said...

I love all the ingredients!!! looks fantastic.

Reeni said...

This looks so delicious I wouldn't miss the pasta! I love the little zing of the lemon.

Ju (The Little Teochew) said...

I can imagine the pancetta and the creaminess will give the zucchini a burst of life. What a clever idea ... will try this on my unsuspecting kids! :)

Sachi's Kitchen said...

This looks very summery and fresh. I have yet to try zucchini spaghetti, but my sister always talks about it. It's definitely on my list!

Velva said...

Zucchini spaghetti! What a great idea!

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of zucchini "spaghetti"! Delicious!

teresa said...

oh yummy, a perfect lunch indeed!

Palidor said...

Yummy! That's a very creative way to use zucchini.

Chef Fresco said...

Delicious creation!!

Mari @ Once Upon a Plate said...

That looks SO delicious! I love the way you changed it around a bit ~ and what a great combination of flavors. I'm all drooly now. *grin*

Palidor said...

Cucinista, I've tagged you on my blog. I hope you don't mind. If you don't wish to participate, that's okay.

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