Fusilli with Creamy Zucchini and Basil Sauce
Fried zucchini, fresh basil, and a creamy two-cheese sauce come together in this classic Marcella Hazan fusilli recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lb zucchini
- 1 lb fusilli (spiral pasta)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ⅔ cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces
- 1 egg yolk, beaten lightly with a fork
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- salt
- vegetable oil, enough to come up ½" up the side of a medium skillet
Instructions
- Cut zucchini into sticks about 3" long and ⅛" thick.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the zucchini sticks in batches until they are a light-brown color. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Boil the fusilli in salted water while you begin the sauce.
- Dissolve the flour into the milk.
- Melt half the butter and all of the olive oil in a new skillet. When the butter foams, turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Add the flour and milk mixture, a little at a time, stirring constantly. When it has all been added, cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the fried zucchini strips and ¼ tsp salt, turning them 2-3 times in the sauce to coat them well.
- Off the heat, add the remaining butter. Add in the egg yolk, then the cheese, mixing them in rapidly to keep the sauce creamy.
- Taste and correct for salt.
- Add the fusilli directly into the sauce and stir to coat each noodle. Add additional pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Add in the basil and stir to incorporate completely. Serve immediately.
Notes
Several tools that helped cut and fry the zucchini:
- Slicer to ensure the zucchini was thin enough and of uniform size
- Thin metal tongs to help turn the zucchini sticks as they fry