Fried Zucchini Sauce with Garlic and Basil

by Marcella Hazen

1 1/2 lbs fresh, young zucchini
salt
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup flour
Vegetable Oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
4 Tb butter
1/2 c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 lb pasta (best with fettuccine)

1. Soak the zucchini for 20 minutes in cold water, them wash free of all grit. Drain, trim away both ends and cut zucchini into sticks 2 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.
2. Put zucchini in a colander and sprinkle liberally with salt. Toss the zucchini 2 or 3 times to distribute the salt evenly, and let stand for at least 2 hours.
3. Remove the zucchini and pat dry with paper towels. Rinse and dry the colander, which you will need again.
4. Rinse the basil in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and tear the leaves by hand into small pieces. Set aside.
5. When you are ready to fry, set the colander over a platter, and put the zucchini back in it. Dust the zucchini with the flour, shaking the colander to coat them evenly and shed excess flour.
6. Put enough veggie oil in a frying pan to come 1/4 to 1/2 inch up its sides. Add the garlic and turn the heat on high. When the oil is quite hot, put in as many zucchini sticks at one tiem as will fit loosely in the pan. Check the garlic and as soon as it begins to turn brown, remove it and discard it. Turn the zucchini sticks, cooking them until they become colored a golden brown all over, then transfer them to a cooling rack to drain or to a platter lined with paper towels. Continue adding zucchini to the pan in as many batches as necessary until it is all done.
7. Cook and drain pasta. Add butter to pot that pasta was cooked in and let it start to melt. Add zucchini, basil and cheese and mix together. Add pasta and toss thorouhghly. Serve at once.