Zucchini in Tomato Sauce – Easy Stewed Zucchini Recipe
Zucchini in tomato sauce is surprisingly easy to make. Especially if you have a vegetable garden where ordinary summer squash and pretty multicoloured zucchini grow, and the big red tomatoes are already ripe. Making a tomato sauce from ripe tomatoes doesn't take long and couldn't be simpler. Very young zucchini, cut into cubes, are stewed until done right in the sauce.
The word zucchini came into our language not that long ago. I still remember the days when all young summer squash were pale green and the overripe ones a creamy white, though those were good for little more than squash caviar. Coloured squash were rare and were grown mostly for decoration. At some point the yellow and dark green ones came into fashion and started to be grown everywhere.
By and large, they are relatives of the pumpkin and varieties of one another. There is no real difference between them. This vegetable comes from the New World and reached Europe not so long ago. They say zucchini were bred in Italy. Perhaps that is where the name comes from – zucchine. Apart from the colour, the fruits differ in firmness and size – zucchini are smaller and thinner, and the skin is usually not peeled before cooking.
When we cook squash in tomato sauce, it makes no difference at all whether they are young zucchini or ordinary summer squash. The dish comes out low in calories and tasty. If you like, you can make it thick, close to a stew or even a casserole. Or, if you prefer, make it closer to a tomato soup. Serve the zucchini warm or hot. As an appetizer the dish is served cold – it is rather like lecho.
It is very important that the squash or zucchini are young. Then you won't have to peel them or remove the seeds. Don't take large, “fat” ones. Ideally, cut each one lengthwise into four pieces and then into cubes with the skin on – they will come out about 2.5-3 cm in size.
The tomatoes need to be ripe so that you get a smooth red puree. They have to be peeled and seeded, and the white parts removed. A kitchen blender does an excellent job of pureeing the flesh. For extra flavour we use garlic cloves, fresh hot pepper and, if you like, a little sweet pepper cut into slices or strips. I didn't add herbs to the sauce – they change its colour a lot. It is better to sprinkle the finished dish with finely chopped herbs.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Young summer squash or zucchini 2-3
- Large ripe tomatoes 4-5
- Garlic 1-2 cloves
- Fresh hot pepper to taste
- Salt, sweet paprika, black pepper to taste
- Sweet pepper optional
- Fresh bread, herbs for serving
Step-by-step recipe
- We made our zucchini in tomato sauce with very young zucchini with a beautiful dark green skin. You can buy thin ones up to 20 cm long – that is the best option. If you use ordinary summer squash, make sure the rind hasn't started to turn woody and the seeds are barely formed. The red tomatoes should be as ripe as they can possibly be. As a last resort, it is better to use canned tomato pulp.
- An important step is preparing the tomato puree for the sauce. Put the tomatoes in a deep bowl and pour boiling water from the kettle over them. After 1-2 mins rinse them with cold water. The outer skin, which looks like thin plastic film, comes off easily with your fingers. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Cut out all the white and unripe parts inside. Blend the tomato flesh into a puree. Pour the tomato into a frying pan and put it on the heat.
- Peel 1-2 cloves of garlic. No more than that, or the zucchini will smell too strongly of it. The garlic should bring out the flavour of the sauce, not change it. Finely chop the garlic and the fresh hot pepper. How much pepper is up to you, but I prefer a sauce with just a light aftertaste. I usually add half a chili, carefully cleaned of its seeds and white inner membranes. Add the garlic and chili to the tomato and, if you like, a little sweet pepper cut into strips or slices. Alternatively, you can simply add some coarsely ground sweet paprika. Season the sauce with salt and pepper; you can also add just a little sugar – the zucchini in tomato sauce will taste better for it.
- Bring the tomato sauce to a boil and simmer over low heat, covered, for about 15 mins. You can add more salt to taste and make it hotter. In the meantime, prepare the zucchini. If, as sometimes happens, the seeds are visible and the skin is tough, they have to be removed. Peel the squash and cut them lengthwise. Scrape out the overripe seeds with a spoon. If they are perfect and young, simply cut them lengthwise and then into large cubes, seeds and skin included. Add the zucchini cubes to the boiling tomato sauce.
- Gently stir the zucchini into the tomato and stew over medium heat with the lid on. The zucchini need 15-20 mins of cooking. As a rule, that is enough for the pieces to keep a barely noticeable firmness. The Italians call this degree of doneness al dente. Don't overcook the vegetables, or you will end up with squash caviar.
- The dish is at its best served straight away, while it is hot. Spoon the zucchini in tomato sauce into dishes – deep bowls or small soup plates are best. If you like, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs – dill, parsley. Hot vegetables are delicious with the freshest bread.
- I don't use any fat in the cooking – it would only add calories, and there is no need for it. The dish is completely vegetarian and is perfect for diets. If you like, you can chill it and serve it as a cold appetizer.
| Yield: | 2 servings |
| Calories: | 24 |
| Prep: | 15 mins |
| Cook: | 30 mins |
| Total: | 45 mins |
| Category: | Main Dishes |
| Cuisine: | Italian cuisine |
| Rating: |
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4.6
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