- 4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 large sweet onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh marjoram, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 pound gemelli or other short tubular pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cut the zucchini and onions into pieces about the size of the pasta. Toss them together in a bowl with the salt and let them sit for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. After 15 minutes, turn on 4 quarts of salted water to boil for cooking the pasta.
- When the water is about to boil, put the oil, garlic, marjoram, and pepper into a skillet over medium heat and cook until the garlic is translucent.
- Discard the liquid from the zucchini and onions. Spread a clean dish towel in the kitchen sink, turn the vegetables out onto it, wrap them up, and twist the cloth as tightly as you can, extracting as much moisture as possible.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water. Put the vegetables into the skillet and continue cooking, stirring gently, until the pasta is almost ready. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the skillet. Drain the pasta and divide it among four plates, topping each with a portion of the vegetables. Serve with the Parmesan and pepper.