Pasta with Zucchini in Various Textures

Method

1. Prepare the zucchini. Using a peeler, remove the green skin in strips, leaving the white core. Cut the green skin into small pieces for the cream. Dice the white core into small cubes for crunch. Set aside. Also, thinly slice the zucchini flowers. With a peeler, create thin ribbons from another zucchini (or from some green strips) for the raw salad.
2. In a pan, heat olive oil and add the garlic clove. Add the green zucchini pieces, season with salt, and cook without browning. Add water to cover and cook until very soft (overcook). Remove the garlic.
3. Transfer the cooked zucchini and some cooking liquid to a blender. Add fresh basil and blend until smooth, adding pasta water if needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
4. In another pan, sauté the white zucchini cubes in a little oil until lightly golden and crunchy. Season with salt.
5. For the raw zucchini salad, toss the thin ribbons with lime juice, zest, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside.
6. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water, then drain.
7. In the pan used for the cream (or a large skillet), combine the drained pasta with the zucchini cream. Add a splash of pasta water if too thick. Stir in lime zest and a squeeze of lime juice.
8. Serve the pasta on a plate. Top with crunchy zucchini cubes, zucchini flower strips, and the raw zucchini salad. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and extra lime zest.