Name: Franco's Pasta with Zucchini and Potatoes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 large (about 1/2 pound) boiling potatoes; 2 1/2 tablespoons fine sea salt plus additional to taste; 2 medium zucchini (about 3/4 pound total), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice; 1 pound spaghettini; 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons chopped basil or flat-leafed parsley leaves if desired; 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 12 ounces); freshly ground black pepper to taste

"No one wants to eat this kind of food in a restaurant," Franco Ricatti, owner of the Ristorante Bacco in Barletta, Puglia, told me, "but we make it all the time at home." As he described the following, one-pot preparation of pasta boiled with diced zucchini and potatoes, dressed with olive oil and grated Parmesan, I begged him to make it for me. Franco breaks the spaghetti into 2-inch pieces, but I don't bother. And he doesn't use any herbs — unusual behavior in Italy — but I like to add a little basil or parsley.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

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