Zucchini Spaghetti with Tinned Fish and Aleppo Chili
This recipe is one of my go-to pantry staples. It is so quick and easy and takes you under 30 minutes to make. If you want to skip the zucchini, it will be even easier and quicker, but I love to get my veggies in any way I can, especially when I want a massive bowl of pasta for dinner. It is also cheap to make and packs a ton of flavor with a short ingredient list.
Servings: 2 adults
Ingredients
½ lb spaghetti
1 green zucchini squash
Extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp. Aleppo chili (or italian chili flakes), use more or less depending on how spicy you like it!
1 small can/tin of white fish packed in oil (tuna, smoked trout, etc.)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1-2 c. reserved pasta water
Parmigiano reggiano, grated
We’re going to start by prepping our zucchini. If you have a peeler that turns things into thin strips, you can go ahead and use that! If you don’t have one, you can use a normal vegetable peeler and strip thin, flat pieces of the whole zucchini. Then roughly stack them and run your knife lengthwise to achieve medium to long, thin strips! Nothing needs to be perfect but the idea is that everything is as thin, and as fine as possible because it will be integrated into the spaghetti mosty raw.
Next place a large pot of heavily salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add in your spaghetti and start to cook. You want to cook your pasta a couple minutes under because it will continue to cook in the sauce later. Just below al dente. In the meantime, grab a large saute pan and heat a few glugs of olive oil on medium heat. Add in your thinly sliced garlic and cook until softened..watch it closely, don’t want to burn your garlic! Add in your aleppo chili so everything becomes fragrant. Your spaghetti should be close to being done and turning your water pretty starchy. Take a mug and scoop out a few cups of that starchy pasta water and set aside. When your garlic and chili oil is fragrant, you can add about a ¼ cup of water to the pan to slow the cooking process. This is the start of your sauce. Turn the heat down to medium low and add in your drained tinned fish of choice. It will start to get soft and absorb all the yummy juices.
Drain your spaghetti and add it into your sauce. Turn your heat to medium high. If you feel like it is getting too dry, add a bit more pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time and some olive oil. Toss or use tongs to make sure everything is evenly coated and becoming cohesive. Now it is time to add in your zucchini! Fold in the thin strips of zucchini and just warm through. It will release some water which is normal, but continue to cook a couple more minutes and the spaghetti will absorb some while the rest evaporates out. You want them to become wilted but not soggy. Season with salt and lots of black pepper to taste. You can also add a finishing drizzle of olive oil to tie it together. Make sure everything is moist, glossy and coated well and check for proper seasoning.
Place in a bowl and grate a hefty amount of parmesan over top and a last sprinkle of aleppo chili. If you have some fresh basil, that would be nice on top as well!
