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drain.
Meanwhile, in a sauté pan large enough to hold the pasta, fry half the leeks in 2 tablespoons oil on high heat until dark golden, about 4 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside on paper towels.
Add the remaining leeks to the pan, lower the heat to medium, and cook until they are very soft, about 5 minutes. Add half the wine and the sugar and stir to combine. Toss in the parcooked spaghetti, raise the heat, and stir constantly, adding the remaining wine only a few tablespoons at a time. Toss the spaghetti frequently, keeping the heat high, so the wine is absorbed into the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente, adding more wine if needed. Stir in 2 tablespoons pecorino until it is fully incorporated, then taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Top each serving with a dollop of ricotta, some fried leeks, and a sprinkle of almonds.



ZUCCHINI-GLAZED PASTA
    { Pasta glassata }
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    SERVES 4 | REGION: Throughout Italy
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It’s a brilliant concept: Zucchini does double duty as both cooking medium and topping. After it’s grated, it releases lots of delicious green juice, which is used to cook the pasta, coating it in a gorgeous glossy glaze. The grated pieces are then tossed with hot pasta to complete the light yet richly satisfying dish. Not a drop of vibrant, fresh vegetable flavor goes to waste.
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes—in fact, when PBS interviewed me for a special on Italian-Americans and asked about the pasta I most prefer, this is the one I mentioned. I love that it’s light, healthy, and practically fat free; I love that it’s simple but has a fancy, chef-y touch; I love how tasty and pretty it is. I love it!
6 large zucchini
Salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound (455 g) spaghetti or any long pasta
Olive oil
Parmesan or other aged cheese
Line a colander with cheesecloth and place it in a large bowl. Grate the zucchini on the smallest holes of a cheese grater into the colander. Toss the zucchini with a pinch of salt and the garlic and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
Squeeze the zucchini to extract all the liquid; you should have about 1 cup of juice. Set aside both the grated zucchini and the juice.
Boil the pasta in lightly salted water for half the time suggested on the package, then drain it. In the empty pasta pot, bring the zucchini juice to a boil. Toss in the pasta and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente. Raise the heat to high at the end so any remaining juice absorbs into the pasta and creates a nice glaze.
Now you have a choice on how to finish the dish: You can either toss the pasta with the raw grated zucchini and top with a drizzle of olive oil or, if you prefer, fry the zucchini in a skillet on high heat with 2 tablespoons oil until crispy, then toss it into the pasta. Serve the pasta topped with grated or shaved cheese, if you like.



CHAPTER

    Fish
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    LECCARSI I BAFFI .
    LICK YOUR MOUSTACHE.
    Said of particularly delicious food .
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Italians, with their long coastline, enjoy an abundant variety of seafood. In this chapter you’ll find a wide assortment, including tuna, clams, mussels, eels and baccalà , paired with all sorts of unusual ingredients like creamy avocado and even licorice.



PURPLE PASTA
    { Linguine cotte all’estratto di cavolo rosso }
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    SERVES 2 * | REGION: Lombardy and northern Italy
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Pasta + Juicer = Dinner. In Italy today, many chefs—like the talented Andrea Aprea of Vun restaurant in Milan—are cooking pasta in vegetable extracts.
Here it’s red cabbage juice, which produces pasta with a glorious purple color and lovely vegetal flavor. It’s served with creamy burrata cheese for sweet richness, a touch of smoked fish for depth, pistachio nuts for crunch, and watercress for fresh brightness. It all makes a thrilling combination of vibrant colors, rich flavors, and varied textures.
1 small head red cabbage, about 2 pounds (905 g)
8 ounces (225 g) linguine or any long pasta,