Before I met Tommaso, I used to experiment with new recipes and eagerly share them here on the blog. It feels like another era, but it was only a decade ago. There were fewer filters and fewer expectations: I would cook, take a quick photo, enjoy the meal and write about the new flavours and discoveries. The memory of those years is linked to Claudia, my patient sister and impartial, curious taster.
Some dishes from that time became family staples and later turned into comforting classics that even Tommaso now expects. Others slipped into the folds of old posts, tried once and then forgotten as newer ingredients and recipes arrived. That’s a shame, because many of those dishes are simple and perfectly suited to a midweek supper: the kind of easy, satisfying recipes I like to share here — the ordinary routine of cooking and eating well.
Old posts often suffered from rushed photos and hurried writing, driven by the urge to share.
Lately I find myself caught between past and future, searching for the primitive emotions the kitchen has always given me — scents, tastes, memories. I decided to dig into the blog archive to rediscover those treasures. I found the scent of the first fresh garlic I bought at the market, the taste of a tomato sauce made with freshly picked herbs, and the warm aroma of grated tonka bean in a coffee custard.
So I decided to revive old recipes: give them a new presentation and a little boost of confidence.
And I made Tommaso happy too — now he doesn’t pout and say, “you’ve never cooked this for me.”
Let’s begin with pasta with zucchini and saffron, a ten-year-old recipe I made shortly after buying my first pot of mint for the garden. I cooked this pasta for the whole family on Sunday, reading the younger version of myself through the blog’s pages — a small time machine that holds a lifetime of memories.
From an old post originally published in Italian in April 2009
One of my favourite remedies when I’m low, or a favourite pastime when I’m joyful, is to wander through a bookstore for hours until inspiration strikes. My favourite sections are cookbooks and books in English. When I find cookbooks in English, it’s pure delight. I buy many, line them up on my chest of drawers and leaf through them, smug and content. Sometimes I try a recipe or two.
Some books I almost know by heart even though I haven’t tried every recipe — at least not yet. On one occasion I bought Delphine de Montalier’s Verdure Golose, a thoughtful, vegetable-centered cookbook full of practical tips: which herbs pair with carrots, the best ways to cook asparagus, how to use leftover potatoes, and how to tame unfamiliar vegetables like celeriac.
Pasta with zucchini and saffron
I was looking for a new way to prepare pasta with zucchini. I already had a quick, reliable version, but I wanted a slight change. I found a recipe that turned out to be perfect for using a little leftover cream from another recipe: pasta dressed with a zucchini and saffron cream.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the zucchini sauce. Dice the zucchini and simmer them in a small saucepan with vegetable stock or hot water until very tender. Drain, then add saffron and a handful of fresh mint leaves. Blend with a splash of cream until you obtain a smooth, delicate purée.
If you prefer a lighter sauce, use milk instead of cream. If you must use dried mint, do so sparingly — it can easily overpower the dish.
Drain the pasta when it is al dente, saving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Toss the pasta in a pan with the zucchini purée, a generous grating of Parmigiano Reggiano and enough cooking water to bind the sauce. Cook briefly over low heat until the sauce clings to the pasta. Finish with a few fresh mint leaves and serve immediately. I’d almost forgotten how simple and lovely this combination is.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 360 g short pasta (penne or mezze maniche)
- 4 medium zucchini
- A pinch of saffron
- About 500 ml vegetable stock or hot water
- 100 ml fresh cream (or milk for a lighter version)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- A few fresh mint leaves
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the saffron in two tablespoons of hot water to release its colour and aroma.
- Rinse and dice the zucchini. Cook them in a saucepan with the vegetable stock or hot water until very soft and easily pierced with a knife.
- Drain the zucchini and blend them with the saffron (including the soaking liquid), the cream and a few mint leaves until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Warm two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add the zucchini sauce and cook for 2–3 minutes to thicken and concentrate the flavour.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain it al dente, reserving a ladle of cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan with the zucchini sauce, stir in a little cooking water and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Toss gently over low heat for a minute or two until the sauce coats the pasta. Add fresh mint leaves, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
Notes: Using a kitchen scale helps achieve consistent results. Substitute milk for cream if you prefer a lighter dish, and be moderate with dried mint to avoid overpowering the delicate flavours.
More recipes with zucchini
- Round courgettes stuffed with tuna — a flavourful Tuscan summer dish made the way my grandmother used to prepare them. Make plenty; they disappear fast.
- Zucchini with fresh garlic and oregano — a simple side that still thrills me with the memory of first fresh garlic and a handful of aromatic herbs.
- A Tuscan sweet zucchini cake — lightly sweet, with an unusual green note from thinly sliced zucchini. It stays moist thanks to the vegetable and gains extra aroma from a few basil leaves.