Adapted from Thirty Minute Pasta by Giuliano Hazan Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream About 20 strands of saffron 1/2 large sweet yellow onion, chopped 1-1/4 pounds small zucchini, cut into sticks approximately 1/8-inch thick by 1 to 1-1/2 inches long Salt Pepper 8 ounces dried egg fettuccine 1/3 cup grated Parmigianno-Reggiano Put the heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat the cream slowly until hot but not boiling, and use the tips of your fingers to crumble the strands of saffron into the pan of cream. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and leave on the turned-off burner to keep the cream warm while proceeding with the rest of the recipe. To cut the zucchini into sticks, Giuliano suggests starting out by slicing the zucchini the short way into 1/8-inch rounds. Then make manageable stacks of the slices, and cut them 1/8-inch thick too to finish making the zucchini sticks. Put the butter in a cold skillet, saute pan, or saucier and heat slowly until the butter melts. Add the chopped onion, and saute until the onion turns gold but does not brown. Add the sticks of zucchini and salt and pepper to taste, and cook until the zucchini is lightly browned. Let the zucchini soften, making sure it does not get mushy. Add the warm cream infused with saffron, and continue to cook the sauce until it thickens a little and reduces by no more than one third. While you are making the sauce, cook the egg fettuccine in lots of boiling salted water until just slightly underdone. When the sauce is finished, turn the heat off, and add the cooked fettuccine to the pan, and toss with the sauce. Add the grated Parmigianno-Reggiano and toss again. Serve immediately. |