Smoked Trout and Spinach Pasta

Wash your hands and clean the preparation surfaces. Rinse the zucchini, lemon, parsley and spinach under running water, unless the spinach is labeled prewashed, and dry well. Trim the zucchini, halve lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons. Mince the garlic and chop the parsley. Finely grate 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, then squeeze 2 tablespoons of juice.

Remove any skin and bones from the trout. Flake the fish into generous bite-size pieces, place on a clean plate and refrigerate while you cook the pasta and vegetables.

Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in the large pot. Add the salt and penne, stir, and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, carefully reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and spread it out as evenly as possible. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and just tender.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach in two batches, stirring until each batch wilts, about 2 minutes total.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, black pepper and remaining 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water. Gently fold in the flaked trout and warm for 1–2 minutes, just until warmed through. Avoid vigorous stirring so the fish stays in tender pieces. The trout supplies the finishing salt, so do not add additional salt.