Servings: 4 – 6 (as sides)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients for the Sweet & Sour Zucchini (Agrodolce)
- 4 – 5 small zucchinis, thinly sliced in 1-inch wide ribbons
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 – 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- olive oil, as needed
- handful fresh mint leaves
Ingredients for the Pesto Zucchini Pappardelle
- 4 – 5 medium zucchini, thinly sliced in 1-inch wide ribbons
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons blanched almonds (or your favorite nut), toasted
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 – ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- olive oil, as needed
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Ingredients for the Zucchini Fritters
- 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- olive oil, for frying
Procedure:
- Place your grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine the zucchini ribbons for the agrodolce and pesto pappardelle on a tray, drizzle olive oil evenly over it and season with salt and pepper. Grill, working in batches, for 3 to 5 minutes, until just kissed with grill marks. Transfer back to the tray and divide in half.
- To finish the agrodolce stir the vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes and garlic together in a small saucepot and place over medium-high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until it has reached a syrup consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Place half of the grilled zucchini ribbons on a platter and scatter the mint leaves on top. Spoon the hot agrodolce over the top then cover with foil. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
- To finish the pesto pappardelle: in the bowl of a food processor pulse together the basil, mint, almonds, Parmesan, lemon juice and red pepper flakes until a rough paste begins to form. Allow the food processor to run and drizzle in enough olive oil to loosen up the mixture to a spreadable consistency. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more cheese, lemon or oil as needed.
- Put the remaining grilled zucchini ribbons into a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the pesto, tossing to combine. Add more pesto as needed. Serve hot, room temperature, or cold, garnished with any additional vegetables, protein and cheese of your choosing.
- To make the fritters: Combine the grated zucchini and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl, letting it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Wring out as much of the liquid from the zucchini as you can by squeezing it in your hands in batches or gathering it into cheesecloth or coffee filters and squeezing. Drain any liquid from the bowl and place the drained zucchini back in the bowl. Mix in the sliced scallions and taste, adding more salt if needed. Stir in the egg.
- In a separate bowl stir together the flour and baking powder before adding to the zucchini; stir until just combined.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Drop the zucchini batter by the large spoonful into the pan once the oil is hot, making sure to leave plenty of space between each one. Cook for 6 minutes until the bottom is firm and golden brown before flipping (a fish spatula works so well for this) and cook for a further 6 or 7 minutes. The fritters should be brown on both sides and hot in the center. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or tray and season with salt. Repeat until all of the batter is used. Serve with pesto and/or sour cream (or your favorite garnish).