Pasta World Championship Recipe For Fusilli With Zucchini
Upgrade your meal with this Pasta World Championship dish
Early this summer, chefs gathered in Italy to prove their pasta supremacy at the fifth annual Barilla Pasta World Championship. From the pot after pot of boiling water—and twirl after twirl of decadent, showstopping dishes—emerged one Pasta Champion: chef Jure Tomic, from Ošterija Debeluh restaurant in Slovenia.
Tomic's winning entry? A stunning plate of sturdy whole-grain fusilli with a creamy sauce of zucchini (and delicate zucchini blossoms), leeks and goat cheese. The dish is a sophisticated take on all that's great about pasta, made with ingredients loved around the world.
Recipe adapted from Jure Tomic at the 2016 Barilla Pasta World Championship
Fusilli with Zucchini and Goat Cheese
Try your hand at award-winning fusilli with zucchini and goat cheese from this year's Pasta World Championship in Parma, Italy.
Ingredients
- ¾ pound Barilla whole-grain fusilli or rotini (integrali)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 medium (3½ ounces) leeks, julienned
- ¼ cup, plus 3, tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 medium (7 ounces) zucchini, julienned
- 12 zucchini flowers, torn lengthwise, 3 saved for garnish
- ½ cup goat cheese, divided
Directions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cool the fusilli pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Strain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Rinse the pasta in cold water until the pasta is completely cool, then toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and set aside.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil. Add the leeks and sauté until leeks are tender, 8 minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add the zucchini and zucchini flowers, and cook until tender, 3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and ¼ cup of the goat cheese, and toss until the sauce has fully emulsified. If the sauce needs to be thinned out, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Serve hot and garnish with the reserved torn squash blossoms and crumbles of the remaining goat cheese.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 504 |
| Total Fat | 16.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 11.6 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 71.5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 5.3 g |
| Sodium | 122.1 mg |
| Protein | 16.6 g |
