Shishito Pepper Pesto with Zucchini Spaghetti

 

Ingredients for pesto:

8 oz shishito peppers (steamed in 1/2 cup water and 2 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes. Let cool slightly and remove stems)
olive oil
1 baking package of pine nuts (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 bunch of parsley
10 fresh basil leaves
2 TBSP basil from the tube
2 TBSP dried basil
1 TBSP italian seasoning
1/2 cup parmesan
4 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper

Other ingredients: 

1 pound spaghetti
2 zucchini
4 TBSP butter
1 cup flour
3 TBSP cornstarch
salt and pepper

Fresh parmesan shavings for garnish

Directions: 

1. Put all ingredients for pesto into a food processor except olive oil. Pulse it up a few times then start streaming in the olive oil. Blend until desired consistency and taste for seasoning. Reserve. 

2. Cut 1 zucchini into thin potato chip size slices and lay on paper towels. Cut 1 zucchini a little thicker, maybe 1/8 inch discs and lay on paper towels. 

3. Season all the zucchini with salt and let sit for 30 minutes for some water to pull out. 

4. Boil your pasta water and get it ready. 

5. Rinse your zucchini and dry it. Make sure to keep it separate here because you are doing different things with each one. 

6. With the thin slices, toss them in the flour and cornstarch with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.

7. Heat a large pan up with 2 TBSP olive oil. 

8. With the thicker slices of zucchini, season with salt, pepper, italian seasoning. Saute about 2 minutes per side - or until slightly browned. Remove and keep warm on paper towel-lined plate. 

9. Drop your pasta now as it takes 10 minutes. Don't forget to heavily salt your water. 

10. To the same pan you had the zucchini in, add a little more olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to medium high. 

11. Add a few of the flour coated zucchini at a time. You want to fry these and crisp them up. This should only take about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm

12. Wipe that pan out or drain most of the oil. You could also use a fresh pan here. Add the butter and melt over low heat. Add about 1/2 your pesto. 

13. If you timed it right, your pasta should be done. With tongs, take your pasta right from the water into the pan with the pesto and butter. You want some of the water in your pan to help make the sauce. 

14. Toss everything. Keep your pasta water and ladle some in if you need more liquid. You can also add more pesto here too.  After you have all the pasta coated, now add the sautéed zucchini and toss gently. 

15. Taste for seasoning. Plate the zucchini and pasta on a plate and top with the fried zucchini chips. 

16. Garnish with fresh shaved parmesan and torn basil, if desired.

Wine pairing: 

Seven Springs Vineyard

Evening Land

Chardonnay

2018

This recipe was inspired by Bobby Flay's Amalfi restaurant in Las Vegas. We ate there a few weeks ago and had the best dinner in like that past 10 years! This was such a surprise - we didn't expect to like zucchini pasta as much as we did. Enjoy!