Creamy pasta with zucchini flowers, saffron and ham.

5 from 8 votes

Creamy pasta with zucchini flowers, saffron and ham.

This creamy and delicate pasta with zucchini flowers is bound to become a favourite summer dish. All you need apart from the zucchini flowers and pasta is cooked ham, zucchini, onion, saffron, cream, fresh parsley and cheese.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword: saffron, summer pasta, zucchini, zucchini flowers

Servings:

Calories: 674kcal

Author: Jacqui

Equipment

1 large pot to cook pasta.
1 large deep skillet to make sauce and then mix in pasta.
1 sharp knife to chop vegetables and ham.

Ingredients

11 ounces large ridged penne pasta or other short ridged pasta like rigatoni or garganelli
16 zucchini flowers
4 zucchini if not attached to flowers (medium sized)
1 sachet saffron powder or ½ teaspoon saffron threads
1 onion peeled and finely chopped
4.25 ounces cooked ham (about 3 thick slices) cut into cubes
7 floz heavy cream
2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces Parmigiano or grana freshly grated
1 handful fresh parsley chopped
salt for pasta and to taste
black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

If you are using saffron threads put them in a glass with a little warm water and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes or dissolve the saffron powder in a little water.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Before draining it, save a cup of the cooking water.
You can make the sauce while you are waiting for the water to boil for the pasta or you can make it first. Peel and chop the onion finely. Cut the cooked ham into small cubes. Wash and chop the parsley. Cut thee zucchini into small cubes.
Clean the zucchini flowers by removing the pistil or stamen from the centre and washing them carefully. These flowers are delicate. Wash them one at a time just before using to retain their freshness. You can leave the flowers whole or cut into strips. ( I cut some into strips and left a couple whole)
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet that’s big enough to fit the in pasta later. Add the chopped onion and cook over a low heat until it softens slightly and then add the zucchini cubes. Add salt and black pepper and let the zucchini cook until they become slightly golden.
Once the zucchini are ready, add the ham and brown it for at least a minute. Then add the saffron thread water or sachet contents mixed with a little water. Mix well and add the zucchini flowers and stir them into the sauce. Finally add the heavy cream mix again and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan and mix it well with the sauce. Add a handful of grated cheese to thicken the sauce. Plus, if the sauce seems dry, add a little of the saved pasta cooking water.
Mix everything together and serve immediately sprinkled with chopped parsley and more grated cheese if required.

Notes

You can make this recipe with different kinds of short pasta. Ridged pasta is better. For vegetarians just leave out the ham and use a vegetarian cheese. Italian grana and Parmigiano are both made with animal rennet and are not suitable for vegetarians.

You can substitute the ham for other meats such as prosciutto crudo or sausage.

I had some leftovers from this dish, so the next day I baked them with some butter and grated cheese. Very good!

Nutrition