Zucchini & Potato Stew | Calabrian "Spezzatino" Recipe
This recipe comes direct from the one-and-only Mamma Rosa. Like all of her specialties, this dish is deceptively simple. Don't be fooled, its flavor goes far beyond the sum of its parts! This dish can be eaten alone as a stew, or used as a pasta or rice sauce.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
Serves 2-3.
For this recipe, you will need:
1/3 large white onion
2 large zucchini
1 large russet potato
3-4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Dry chili pepper or chili pepper flakes to taste (optional)
Salt
Fresh black pepper
A piece of leftover Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (optional, clean it by scraping the label with a sharp knife)
14oz. (400g) can of whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with a fork
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for topping
Breadcrumbs for topping
First, prep the vegetables. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Peel the potato and cut it into large chunks (about 8 pieces total). Similarly, cut the zucchini into large pieces.
Add the olive oil into a medium pot (terracotta if you have it!) and bring up to medium temperature. Add the sliced onion and sauté until tender and slightly transparent (about 2-3 minutes). Next, add the chopped potato and zucchini. Stirring frequently to prevent burning and sticking, let these cook with the onion for about 10 minutes.
Tear in the chili pepper and season with salt/pepper to taste. Stir in a hunk of Parmigiano rind if you have it!
Pour in the tomatoes, followed by half that amount of water (you can simply fill the empty can up halfway). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, at least 45 minutes. Stir the stew frequently and add more water as necessary if it thickens too much. As it nears completion, season with salt and pepper again to taste.
Serve hot, topped with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Buon appetito!