Italian food recently gained recognition on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.
At least one Italian, Alberto Grandi, a professor of food history at the University of Parma, argues there is no such thing as Italian cuisine, contrary to what people tend to think.
In some ways he is correct. For one thing, Italy as a nation-state is quite young, and many think of themselves as Italians second, with the prime position reserved for the town or the region where they are from. (I remember an Italian man once asserted with indignation that anyone from even the neighboring town was absolutely not one of “his” people!) With this in mind, the gastronomy varies from region to region.
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In addition, much of the cuisine being celebrated by the UNESCO designation hasn’t been around all that long. It is only in the post-World War II era that abundance allowed the populace of Italy to begin eating in the way that we imagine they have been eating for centuries (but they haven’t been).
Truly, though, I am not sure any of this debate matters when you find yourself in a trattoria on a narrow street in some town in Italy, eating the best thing you have ever tasted. And then, the next night, another best thing ever. When I was in Italy just last month, this happened over and over (although, sadly, it has become easier to end up with a bad meal in Italy).
On two separate occasions this involved a simple plate of zucchini. One was called zucchini “carpaccio” on the menu, sliced thin like the raw beef that usually composes that dish; and the other, with strands of zucchini as if cut with a spiralizer but thinner, was at a restaurant where I saw not a menu anywhere — my friends from that area just ordered dishes for the table. On neither plate was the zucchini cooked, but neither did it seem raw. It was, I realized, the salting and blotting of the pieces that achieved this neither-cooked-nor-raw texture.
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With farmers market season upon us, I came home wanting to make a version of this zucchini for fresh summer eating. Lest you think this is a way to use the huge zucchini that appear suddenly one day in your garden, where there were none the day before, sorry to say, the simplicity of this dish really needs small, tender specimens. I did try a version using store-bought spiralized zucchini noodles, and it was passable, but nothing like the version with thin, tender slices that requires a bit more effort. Truly, though, either one offers a light, fresh vegetable dish for warm summer days.
ZUCCHINI WITH LEMON, NUTS AND PARMESAN
Serves: 4-6
Note: See below for hints if using store-bought pre-spiralized zucchini “noodles.”
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup sliced almonds (whole pine nuts or chopped hazelnuts would also work)
1 pound of small, tender zucchini
1 teaspoon plus a pinch kosher salt, divided
1 large lemon, preferably organic and unwaxed (although you will use only half)
⅛ teaspoon honey
Several grinds fresh black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
Toast the nuts on a tray in a toaster oven or in a dry pan over medium heat. Keep a close eye because they can burn quickly. Once they start to brown, remove from the heat and place in a bowl so they don’t continue to toast from the residual heat of the pan or the toaster oven tray.
Trim the ends off the zucchini and cut very thinly into slices no more than ⅛ inch thick. This is most easily accomplished with a mandoline if you have one. Place the zucchini slices in a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Toss to combine. Allow to drain for 30 minutes, tossing lightly every 10 minutes.
Remove the sliced zucchini in batches to a towel-lined (dish towel or paper towel) plate or cutting board, and blot to dry as much as possible. Place the zucchini into a bowl or arrange in overlapping layers on a platter. Continue until you have blotted all the slices.
Using a fine grater such as a Microplane, zest about ½ of the lemon, yielding about 1 teaspoon of zest, somewhat packed in the measuring spoon. Place in a small measuring cup or bowl. Cut the lemon in half and reserve the unzested half in the refrigerator for another use. Juice the ½ lemon and strain out the seeds, which should yield about 2 tablespoons juice. Add to the lemon zest.
Add the remaining pinch of salt, honey, and pepper to the lemon juice. Whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil.
Using a spoon or a small ladle, drizzle the lemon dressing over the zucchini slices. If in a bowl, toss to combine. Scatter the almond slices (or other nuts) over the zucchini. Using a fine grater such as a Microplane, grate the Parmesan directly over the zucchini, about 2 tablespoons total. (If using pre-grated cheese, start with 1 tablespoon and taste before adding more.) Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately.
Note: If using store-bought pre-spiralized zucchini “noodles,” they will likely have a lot more moisture and will need more vigorous squeezing to rid them of excess water. Scale the dressing amount as needed, but know that you may need less. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator.
Dining and Cooking