Rigatoni with Raw Marinated Zucchini, Lemon, Feta, Pine Nuts & Mint (or Basil or Parsley)
A bright, no-fuss summer pasta: zucchini “cooks” in lemon juice while the pasta boils, then gets tossed with feta, herbs, and toasty pine nuts. It’s fresh, creamy, a little tangy, and wildly satisfyin
This is my lighter, raw zucchini take on the famous Italian dish Spaghetti alla Nerano. One day I decided to skip the frying and use lemon juice to “cook” the zucchini instead—kind of like a zucchini ceviche. Let it sit for about 30 minutes with lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper, and it starts to soften and get a little saucy as the salt pulls out its water.
Toss it with hot pasta, fresh herbs, and feta, and the heat wilts the zucchini even more, creating a light, bright sauce. Parsley will make it grassy and peppery. Mint does its own great thing, and basil is the traditional pasta herb pairing. They ALL work beautifully here.
IMO, you really can’t go wrong with zucchini, lemon, garlic, feta, and fresh herbs. If you don’t have a feta, a big shower of parmesan, percorino or romano cheese will also bring it all together. The finishing touch is toasted pine nuts (or use toasted breadcrumbs) for crunch. Perfection. Delicious hot, room temp or cold!
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Rigatoni with Raw Marinated Zucchini, Lemon, Feta, Pine Nuts & Mint (or Basil or Parsley)
Serves about 6
Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or similar)
4–5 small zucchini
1-2 lemons (juice and zest)
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
1/4 cup or more of olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta
1 small bunch basil, mint, or parsley - torn or chopped
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts or toasted breadcrumbs (see note below)
Salt + pepper
Instructions:
Thinly slice or shave the zucchini and place it in a big bowl.
Toss with lemon juice, zest, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Let sit about 20-30 minutes while you bring water to a boil for the pasta and cook it. Here you can see it after it has rested for a bit. Some of the water is pulled from the zucchini and starts to create a sauce:
Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water. when you drain it. Add the hot pasta into the bowl with the zucchini and stir to combine.
Stir in the feta, herbs, and top with the pine nuts or breadcrumbs. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, olive oil, or a splash of pasta water as needed. I like lots of fresh black pepper on this, and I usually save a little feta to crumble over the top just before serving.
Notes:
Optional Add-In:
Got arugula? Toss in a few big handfuls at the end—the residual heat from the pasta will wilt it just enough, and it adds a nice peppery bite that works really well with everything else.
How to Make Toasted Breadcrumbs
If you’ve got stale bread, tear or blitz it into coarse crumbs. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the crumbs, and toast—stirring often—until golden and crisp. Season with a pinch of salt.
Got Store-Bought Breadcrumbs?
Plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs or panko work great too. Just toast them the same way in a little olive oil until golden and crunchy. A pinch of salt (and maybe a little grated garlic or lemon zest if you’re feeling fancy) makes them feel homemade.
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