Fish · Pasta

Spaghetti with grilled shrimp, zucchini and salsa verde

Serves 4. Really worth doing.

2/3 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
3 tbsp drained capers
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil
2 zucchini, cut lengthways into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
3/4 lb spaghetti

Put the parsley, capers, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper into a food processor or bender. Pulse  just to chop, 6 to 8 times. With the machine running, add the 1/2 cup olive oil in a thin stream to make a coarse puree.
Leave this salsa verde in the food processor, if necessary, pulse to re-emulsify juts before adding to the pasta.

Light the grill or heat the broiler. (I do them on a cast iron ridged heavy rectangular flat pan over two burners). Brush the zucchini with 1 tbsp of the oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt.
Grill or broil the zucchini, turning until just done, about 10 minutes in all.
When the slices are cool enough to handle, cut them crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces and put them in a large bowl.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Brush the shrimp with the remaining 1 tbsp oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Grill or broil, turning, until just done, about 4 minutes in all.
Remove the shrimp from the skewers, slice them in half horizontally, and add them to the zucchini.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes.
Drain. Add the pasta to the grilled zucchini and shrimp and toss with the salsa verde.
ENJOY!!

Do-ahead · Egg based · Gluten Free · Grains

Provencal gratin of spinach and zucchini

Provence (my most favorite part of the world) is known for it’s terracotta (baked earth) flower pots, urns, tiles and even cooking dishes. A “Tian”is a type of earthenware gratin dish which also gives it’s name to the food cooked in it.
They are generally vegetable oriented; and often rice grown in the Camargue (the marsh land of Provence) is added to the dish to make it more substantial.
This is an easy dish to double.

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients
1 1/2lbs fresh spinach, washed
3 good sized zucchini, grated
4 oz short or medium grained rice
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 extra large whole eggs
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 tsps salt
freshly ground black  pepper
good pinch grated nutmeg

Assembly and Presentation
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Oil a fairly large earthenware oven dish with a bit of olive oil.
In a saute pan cook the chopped onions and garlic until soft. Season with salt and pepper and add the grated zucchini and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the zucchini is wilted.

Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out the excess liquid and chop the spinach.
Put the rice in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain.
Beat the eggs and gradually stir in the milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add the zucchini, spinach. rice and parmesan.

Pour into the gratin dish and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot .