Monday, October 10, 2011

Zucchini Pasta Pancake



One of the things I miss most about having a yard of my own is my garden. How can you beat all of those homegrown summer veggies? And while the season for that is ending, I've still been hearing people ask what to do with the zucchini that continues to fill their kitchens to the brim.


To be honest, this recipe started out as something cheap and convenient. I had most of what I needed, and I really wasn't expecting much more than to be fed quickly. I was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome, these were delicious! And it wasn't just me and my husband that thought so. Our kids gobbled them down faster than we could flip more up for them. They were just delicious slathered in marinara and Parmesan. I highly recommend these veggie packed flap jacks.

Zucchini Pasta Pancake
Adapted from Cooking Light July 2011

Ingredients

3 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (8-ounce) package angel hair pasta, broken into 3-inch pieces, I used Orzo
1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce
1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Place zucchini in a colander, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Drain for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Press zucchini between paper towels until barely moist.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

3. Bring marinara to a simmer in a small saucepan; keep warm.

4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and the next 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini and pasta to bowl; toss well.

5. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini mixture to pan, pressing down. The recipe originally says to cook it all as one big pancake, but it worked better for us to do smaller ones one at a time. Cook for 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Carefully turn pancake over; cook 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. I loved them extra crispy. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve with marinara.

25 comments:

Julie said...

Sounds like a super delicious way to get veggies into everybody in the family :)

Val said...

What a perfect way to use zucchini!!! YUM

Heather S-G said...

Oh, I do love the sound of these...especially w/ the marinara and cheese. The pasta is such a cool addition. I bet my kiddos would gobble them, too.

Kim said...

I love zucchini recipes and I'm always trying to sneak it into the kids. This seems like a recipe that everyone will love. Definitely need to give this a try.

chow and chatter said...

oh these are fun I want a couple

Jo said...

WOW these look delish..

Will definitely be making these soon as I am sure my kids will love them also.

Thanks for sharing....

Anonymous said...

MMMMMMMMM,...What more can i say?
I love courgettes recipes. Zucchini is called courgette in Belgium!

That sauce sounds excellent to go with it!

Lara said...

What a fun way to use some zucchini. I love the combination of ingredients.

Barbara said...

I used to have a garden and one thing I remember well...we had zucchini galore! So I smile when I read zucchini recipes.
Love this one, Teresa. Lovely fresh herbs and fun to use pasta; lots of cheese too..looks delish.

The Blonde Duck said...

Yum!

theUngourmet said...

I wouldn't have thought to put the pasta and zucchini together. What a terrific idea! It's great to know that your kids enjoyed it so much as well. :)

Anonymous said...

i like your pictures and would like to invite you to share them on tastingspot.com

Buy Rift Account said...

Pasta Pancake? Hmmmm, sounds interesting! It's healthy too using zucchini on it.

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Buy Rift Account said...

Pasta Pancake? Sounds interesting. Surely a healthy one too, using zucchini on it.

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Anonymous said...

That looks great Teresa - love when dishes turn out better than expected! :D

Lynn said...

Very creative, Teresa. I love the idea of the marinara sauce on them. I'll bet that's good.

Reeni said...

I love that these have pasta in them! Very unique. I'd be gobbling them up too!

Pam said...

Delicious and it looks pretty too! I love that your kids liked it.

Taste and Tell said...

We didn't plant a garden this year, but still managed to have some great veggies given to us. This looks like a delicious zucchini recipe!!

Quirky Jessi said...

What an interesting set of ingredients. Veggie, pasta, baking soda, spices....turned into a pancake with cheese and marinara....

It definitely sounds interesting, though, and I'd pretty much always have the ingredients on hand, I think (minus the zuch).

Natalie said...

I love zucchini pancakes!! I've never tried them topped with marinara sauce though, that's a great idea!

Velva said...

I smile during the summer months when zucchini becomes the gift that keeps on giving. I did not smile this year as the squashes bugs took our all of squash down (sigh).

Your zucchini pasta pancakes looks fresh, healthy and delicious.

Cheers.
Velva

Katy ~ said...

Ooooh, these do sound very good! Ithink I'd want to eat them for breakfast :o)

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

I would have never thought to make this. It looks so delicious.

The Traveling Chef Shoes said...

This sounds like an amazing dish. creative and simple. im a fellow foodie with my own food blog, and am now a fan of yours. keep the creative foods coming.

http://thetravelingchefshoes.blogspot.com/