Note: This is a post from 9 years ago. I brought it up because I made the recipe this week and as it is almost Mothers Day, this dish reminds me of my sons. As the pictures show they were young, They are grown up now with homes and sons of their own ( about the ages they were in these pictures). When I made this I felt that I had to share it with them, photographically speaking. So as any good mother would I sent them a picture. They remembered it all, the trips, the good times, and the dish. A perfect Mother’s Day gift, in my opinion.
Another Note: I must give credit for this recipe to one of my favorite cookbooks, The Frugal Gourmet by Jeff Smith. His recipes featured on the television show of the same name were always tasty, easy, and yes, frugal.
Finally: Happy Mother’s Day to all the women who proudly share the title and job description of Mother. Hope you enjoy this post and your special day.
We were fortunate to live in Northern California for almost 20 years. We took advantage of all the things that the area offered, Trips into San Francisco, camping in the Redwoods, exploring tide pools and of course the Wine Country. All of this, and there was no snow to shovel…Why we came back to the Midwest is complicated. Suffice to say we had our reasons and we have not regretted it.
My sons were born and raised in California. We had no family around so our adventures were always immediate family affairs and that included trips to the Wine Country. 
Sonoma County was about an hour and a half away. It was a great day trip destination. Back in the 80’s Sonoma was pretty rural. There were a few big wineries and lots of small ones. The small wineries were more like family run farms with the crop being grapes. That actually makes them vineyards, and Sonoma still has some of the best.
Every few months we would take a day trip up to Wine Country. We always did this on the cheap. Back then tastings were free and a bottle of wine was under $10.00 (if we splurged and bought one). We would visit 3 or 4 wineries and have a picnic lunch overlooking the vineyards. Lunch was often salami, cheese and crackers; some fruit and cookies for dessert (parent and child friendly and easy to carry in a cooler).
Our sons always found something to do on these trips. They were very adaptable and quickly learned to make their own adventures. Sometimes we even joined in their fun. The time we rented a canoe and paddled the Russian River was memorable for all of us
Left to their own devices they always seemed to find something to do. Being treated to
some fresh grape juice, skipping stones, playing with the wine maker’s children or playing with the requisite “Vineyard Dog” that seemed to hold court at every winery. Looking back, they mostly remember the adventures and not the waiting for Mom and Dad to finish their wine. At least that’s the way I prefer to remember it; they may have a slightly different take.
The trip home was quiet. The boys would sleep and I would most likely doze off, Jeff, ever the good husband and father got us back across the bridge in one piece (He also took these amazing pictures of the Wine Country). Once home everyone was hungry and getting supper on the table was job number one. That’s how Salami and Zucchini Pasta came to be. It was quick, hearty and everyone liked it. The salami was left over from lunch and the zucchini was usually in the fridge. Pasta, olive oil and garlic…I’m Italian, of course it was in the house.
The most recent time that I made this dish we had been out running “errands” that included picking up our wine at Cooper’s Hawk Winery, so the wine tasting component was there. I used salami that I received in a gift basket from my son. It was made with Chianti so it seemed to fit right in with my the wine tasting memories. Still being Italian, the rest of the ingredients were, once again, already in the house.
The salami and zucchini get cut into match sticks, the garlic gets minced and it all goes into the pan with the olive oil.
While the pasta is cooking the cream gets added to the pan, simmering to velvety thickness. 
This coats the pasta, salami and veggies, resulting in a rich and tasty supper. A little freshly ground pepper and some Romano cheese are all that it needs. We may be far from the Wine Country, but this pasta dish always brings back memories. It also is still a favorite and fast way to create a delicious ending to any busy day.
Linguine with Salami and Zucchini
A quick and easy pasta dish that you can whip up after a day in the (Wine) country or a long day of work.
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Linguine with Salami and Zucchini
A quick and easy pasta dish that you can whip up after a day in the (Wine) country or a long day of work.
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Instructions
Cook linguine in salted boiling water until Al Dente. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan and add the salami, zucchini, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the zucchini is soft and the salami is slightly frizzled. 7 minutes or so
Add the cream and capers and bring to a hard simmer, stirring frequently. This will prevent scorching. Continue to simmer and stir until slightly reduced. 5 - 8 minutes.
Reserve 1-2 ladles of the pasta water then drain the pasta.
Add the drained pasta to the fry pan. Toss to combine the pasta and sauce. Cook for about 3 minutes until the sauce comes together. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems tight.
Add pepper to taste and serve topped with the grated cheese.
The past holds so much for us. It got us to where we are now and in some small way it colors where we will go next. Reflecting on the memories leads to rediscovering good things, like pictures of happy times and pasta that still tastes like love. Mama D
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Vegetable pasta has become all the rage. It answers a need on many levels. Looking for gluten-free pasta that doesn’t stick to the roof of your mouth? Veggie pasta. Watching your carbs 
especially those “evil” ones found in real pasta? Yup, veggie pasta fills the bill again. Want to do something different with vegetables? You guessed it, veggie pasta. Looking for a new kitchen toy? One that can help you create this new culinary sensation? There’s a tool for that. The Veggetti. Actually there are several tools that can create this new darling of the food world. There are “spiralizers” that can turn virtually anything into pasta simply by impaling your food of choice on the machine and turning the crank.They range in price from $20.00 to upwards of $50.00. The Veggetti comes in at $15.00 ( but I got mine for $10 at Ross). That is quite a price difference. To be honest, there are some foods that this little gem has a hard time with. My first attempt at sweet potato pasta was less than successful, but as I continue to play with it, I’m learning that size and shape do matter. Still for the price and the size (which actually fits in a drawer since shelf space in my kitchen is at a premium), it’s darned brilliant.
I decided to put it to use in recreating a pasta dish that is near and dear to my heart. Linguine with Salami and Zucchini. Laden with cream and salami along with a generous amount of pasta, it is a tight fit (think skinny jeans) for my healthier cooking style. While I didn’t give up everything; there’s still some salami, a little pasta and I just had to include some cream, it is a lighter version of the dish.
The salami, zucchini and garlic sizzled together in a large fry pan that was lightly coated with olive oil.
The pasta was cooked just shy of al dente.
The cream/half & half mixture was added along with the pasta.
Everything bubbled together for a few minutes until it was perfect. A generous dose of fresh ground pepper and a hint of grated Parmesan and it was ready to eat.
