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–+ servings
plate of spinach zucchini penne pasta

Penne Giardiniera | Zucchini Pasta with spinach balls

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 3
Course: Dinner, lunch
Cuisine: European, Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the spinach balls
  • 350 gm Spinach about 125gm when cooked
  • 1/2 Egg
  • 1 clove Garlic grated
  • Pinch of nutmeg ground
  • 20 gm Parmesan cheese freshly grated
  • 35 gm Dry breadcrumbs
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Olive oil for shallow frying
For the pasta
  • 250 gm Penne pasta
  • 40 gm Butter
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 2 no's Red chilies can be substituted with dried chili red flakes
  • 350 gm Zucchini (Courgette or Koosa) 1 medium size, grated
  • 120 gm Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Method
 

  1. Boil, but don’t overcook, spinach in lightly salted water. Press it dry, and tear it apart toughly.
  2. In a bowl, mix together the torn spinach, egg, nutmeg, garlic, grated, parmesan cheese, freshly grated, bread crumbs, Salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
  3. Create small balls (this mixture should yield approx. 18 balls). Fry until golden brown. Set aside.
  4. In a large pan of salted water, boil the pasta until it’s al dente. Drain and keep warm.
  5. In a pan, melt the butter and cook the garlic and chilies for a minute.
  6. Add the grated zucchini and fry for a minute or two.
  7. Add the cooked pasta and toss in most the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper
  8. To serve, spoon the pasta into a deep plate or shallow bowl. Add the spinach balls and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan. Enjoy!
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