penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto

Summer is in full force and the last thing I’m thinking of is spending hours in the hot kitchen cooking dinner.  That’s why this penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto makes the perfect summer dinner.  Very little ingredients are required, plus it is so quick and easy to make.  Imagine eating this amazingly delicious penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto al fresco style.  Serve with a glass of wine and you will feel like you are having dinner in Italy.  Actually, I’ve never been to Italy but this is how I imagine it would feel, even how I would be enjoying dinner and what I would be eating.

Penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto is firm and tender pasta served in a velvety pasta sauce with diced zucchini and prosciutto, topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

This dish is very Italian, due to the fact that very few fresh ingredients are used to create this delicious dish.  Surprisingly, it’s the pasta water that creates the velvety sauce.  How simple is that?

I used this vegetable chopper to dice my onion and zucchini, creating perfectly sized squares, matching the diced prosciutto.  The vegetable chopper makes dicing or cutting vegetables so much quicker.  However, you don’t need to use a chopper like I did for this dish.  Hand cut onion and zucchini will create a rustic dish and won’t change the flavor at all.

THE Italian Al Fresco DINNER MENU

•  Starter:  Simply Divine Chicken Lettuce Cups
•  Main Dish: Penne Pasta + Zucchini and Prosciutto
• Dessert:  Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Sundae

This menu is meant to be simple and light. Easy on the host/cook!  Prepare the Simply Divine Chicken Lettuce Cups ahead of time and keep refrigerated until ready to assemble.  The strawberries for the Roasted Balsamic Strawberry Sundae can roast in the oven while you are enjoying your dinner outdoors.  Don’t forget a glass of wine!

Make Ahead

Penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto tastes great the next day.  Keep refrigerated and microwave when ready to eat.  Add the basil before heating.

Make It More Healthy

Now days, there are a variety of gluten-free and low-carb pastas available.  Feel free to supplement with your pasta of choice.

What is in penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto?

Very few simple and inexpensive ingredients are in penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto.

• 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 1/2 cup of diced pancetta
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 bunch of basil, leaves only
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Freshly ground black pepper

How easy is it to make penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto?

Penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto takes only minutes to cook.  Follow my easy tips on cooking pasta below for perfectly cooked al dente penne pasta.

1. In a large skillet or frying pan, add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes.  Once the onions have softened, add the salt and pancetta.  Reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes, until the pancetta has lost its pink color.
2. Next, add the zucchini and basil to the pan and continue to cook over low to medium heat, stirring every so often.  Cook until the zucchini is tender, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water  (1/4 cup) to boil over high heat.  Italians always salt their pasta water to taste like the ocean.  Once the water is boiling add the penne.  Bring back to a boil and cook until almost al dente, approximately 9 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.  Add the pasta to the zucchini mixture in frying pan, along with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high and finish cooking the pasta while the water evaporates.  This should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and add the Parmigiano and butter, stirring until blended.  Season with additional salt, if needed, and fishes with black pepper.  Top with some fresh basil and serve immediately.

Tips on cooking pasta

Your pasta will always come out perfect with these easy to follow tips.

1. Always cook pasta in a large pot
2. Use a generous amount of water; the pasta should be able to swim freely in the pot
3. Salt the water with a good handful of kosher or sea salt; to flavor the water to taste like the ocean
4. Be sure that water reaches to a full rolling boil before adding the pasta.
5. Cook pasta just to al dente and no longer; start testing it a minute or two before the time indicated on the box.  Don’t overcook or over stir. Pasta should not be pasty white or hard inside,  but should be tender and firm to the bite.
6. Remember that your pasta will continue to cook once added to the sauce.
7. Don’t rinse the cooked pasta
8. Reserve a cup or two of the pasta cooking water to add to the sauce.  This helps coat the sauce to the pasta

Make penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto tonight, while summer is still here and enjoy it outdoors, al fresco style.  So simple and so yummy.  Possibly, you will be adding this penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto dish to your dinner rotation all year long.

penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

• Author: Adoring Kitchen
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 40 minutes

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Description

Penne pasta + zucchini and prosciutto is firm and tender pasta served in a velvety pasta sauce with diced zucchini and prosciutto, topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

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Ingredients

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• 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 1/2 cup of diced pancetta
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 bunch of basil, leaves only
• 1 pound penne pasta
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. In a large skillet or frying pan, add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes.  Once the onions have softened, add the salt and pancetta.  Reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes, until the pancetta has lost its pink color.
2. Next, add the zucchini and basil to the pan and continue to cook over low to medium heat, stirring every so often.  Cook until the zucchini is tender, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water  (1/4 cup) to boil over high heat.  Italians always salt their pasta water to taste like the ocean.  Once the water is boiling add the penne.  Bring back to a boil and cook until almost al dente, approximately 9 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.  Add the pasta to the zucchini mixture in frying pan, along with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high and finish cooking the pasta while the water evaporates.  This should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and add the Parmigiano and butter, stirring until blended.  Season with additional salt, if needed, and fishes with black pepper.  Top with some fresh basil and serve immediately.

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Equipment

Vegetable Chopper

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Skillet

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Wood Spoons

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Cutting Board

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Notes

The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love!

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