If you're looking for an elegant yet easy pasta dish, this Garganelli with shrimps, squids, and zucchini is a must-try. With fresh seafood, tender zucchini, and a light yet flavorful sauce, this recipe captures the essence of Mediterranean cuisine.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
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This dish is perfect for seafood lovers who enjoy light yet satisfying meals. The combination of juicy shrimp, tender squid, and delicate zucchini creates a harmonious balance of flavors and textures. The sauce, made with white wine, garlic, and olive oil, enhances the natural sweetness of the seafood without overpowering it.
Pasta and seafood for me is the perfect summer dish, hands down. You can change the shape of pasta, change the variety of seafood, add tomato sauce (like this Pasta with Squids and Tomato Sauce), or leave it white. The fact is, the flavor of seafood with the consistency of pasta is the best thing ever.
If you like the combination of zucchini and seafood, you also need to try this Pasta with Shrimps and Zucchini Mint sauce.
Substitutions
Want to customize the recipe? Here are some simple swaps:
- Olive oil: Substitute with butter for a richer flavor.
- Pasta: Swap garganelli for fusilli, tagliatelle, or linguine.
- Seafood: Use scallops, mussels, or clams instead of squid or shrimp.
- Zucchini: Replace with asparagus or bell peppers for a different veggie component.
- White wine: Use vegetable or seafood broth if you prefer a non-alcoholic version.
Variations
Make this dish your own with these creative ideas:
- Herb Infusion: Add fresh thyme or basil for more aromatic depth.
- Spicy Version: Add extra red pepper flakes or a dash of chili oil.
- Creamy Twist: Stir in a bit of heavy cream or mascarpone for a luxurious sauce.
- Lemon Butter Sauce: Swap olive oil for melted butter and add extra lemon juice.
- Cheesy Finish: Top with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for extra umami.
How to make Garganelli Pasta
Garganelli are one of my favorite pasta shapes to make and to eat. Garganelli pasta is originally from Emilia Romagna, a region in central Italy famous for some of the best Italian food, including handmade pasta. They're made with egg pasta dough, rolled thinly, and cut into squares. Then it's rolled on a board to close them and give them the classic stripy texture.
You can leave them smooth if you prefer, but the stripes give them a better texture and capture the sauce much better.
Check out this extensive guide with step-by-step videos to make Garganelli on how to make 10 different shapes of fresh pasta without a pasta machine.
Storage & Reheating
Here's how to store and enjoy leftovers:
Reheating: Warm in a pan over low heat with a splash of olive oil or water to prevent drying out. Avoid microwaving, as it can make the seafood rubbery.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Freezer: Freezing is not recommended due to the texture changes in seafood and zucchini.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just make sure to thaw it completely and pat it dry before cooking.
It's best served fresh, but you can prepare the sauce ahead and cook the pasta when ready to serve.
Yes! Just use gluten-free pasta, and check that your wine is gluten-free.
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📖 RECIPE
Ingredients
Method
- Start by making the pasta dough. Whisk the eggs and slowly add the flour and a pinch of salt, mixing vigorously. When you can no longer mix with the fork, start mixing and kneading the dough by hand for about 10 minutes. When you have a smooth and elastic dough, cover with plastic foil and let it rest about 20 minutes in the fridge.
- When the dough is rested, you can start rolling it. You can either roll it by hand with a rolling pin or with a pasta machine. When you get a thin sheet, cut it into squares 5x5 cm (2x2 inches).
- Place the square on the gnocchi board and with the apposite stick roll the square on itself starting from the corner.
- Let the Garganelli rest on a clean towel until it's time to cook them.
- To make the sauce, cut the zucchini into matchsticks and set them aside. Drizzle some olive oil in a large pan and add the garlic cloves.
- Turn the heat up and cook for a few minutes until the garlic starts browning. Add the thawed shrimps and squids cut into rings.
- Fry for a couple of minutes, then add the white wine and let it evaporate.
- Add the zucchini to the pan and season with salt and black pepper. Turn the heat down and cook until the zucchini starts to soften.
- Toss the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cream to the pan and season again if necessary. Cook a couple of minutes more and then add the drained pasta. Add some pasta water if necessary and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Notes
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