Rigatoni with Speck and Zucchini Blossoms

Rigatoni with speck and zucchini blossoms are a simple and tasty dish that pairs the sweetness of zucchini blossoms with the bold flavor of speck. Here is the recipe to make them:

Ingredients

• 320 grams of rigatoni
• 200 grams of zucchini blossoms
• 150 grams of speck thinly sliced and cut into strips
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 100 ml of cooking cream
• Extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• A bunch of chopped parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the zucchini blossoms, removing the stem, the inner pistils, and any impurities. Gently wash them and dry with paper towels. Then cut them into strips that are not too thin.
2. Sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. When golden, remove the garlic.
3. Add the speck strips and fry until crispy.
4. Add the zucchini blossoms to the pan with the speck and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until tender but still crisp. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni al dente, following the instructions on the package.
6. Drain the pasta, reserving some cooking water, and transfer it to the pan with speck and zucchini blossoms.
7. Add the cooking cream to the rigatoni, and if necessary, a bit of the cooking water to create a light cream that binds the sauce to the pasta.
8. Toss everything over low heat for a few minutes, until the pasta is well coated.
9. Plate and, if desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Serve immediately to best enjoy the flavors of this delicious dish.

Fun Facts

In this recipe we have combined two ingredients typical of South Tyrol, speck, with one of the most appreciated edible flowers in Italian cuisine, zucchini blossoms. The addition of cooking cream creates a cream that binds the smoky taste of the speck with the delight of the blossoms.