One of my favorite downtown Harrisburg summer dining memories is sitting outside Rubicon/Mangia Qui on North Street. We were there for dinner on a beautiful summer evening.
The special appetizer that night was stuffed zucchini blossoms. They were filled with creamy ricotta cheese, lightly battered, and fried in tempura style. They were absolutely delicious.
Every once in a while, I see zucchini blossoms at the farmers market and wonder if I should buy some. I usually don’t deep fry foods, and so I always wonder what else I can do with them.
People cook with other flowers, don’t they? Pansies as a garnish on a plate? We have all seen that. And rose blossoms in a pretty summer drink? Lovely.
But what else can we do with zucchini blossoms? I started the search. I tore my Italian cookbook collection apart. Not much there. But I found my answer in an old favorite, “Rustic Italian,” a Williams and Sonoma publication, written by Domenica Marchetti. There it was! Waiting for me. I must have passed over it many times: “Cavatelli con Fiori di Zucca” (“Cavatelli with Zucchini Blossoms”).
Probably, the hardest part of this recipe is finding the zucchini blossoms. Check local farmers markets and places like Wegmans and Whole Foods. The blossoms should be brightly colored and fresh-looking, never wilted. And if you have your own little home garden and grow zucchini, you will have an ongoing supply.
Cavatelli with Zucchini Blossoms
Ingredients
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into large dices (about 2 cups)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 12 zucchini blossoms, cut crosswise into thin slices
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pound cavatelli or other short pasta
- ½ cup shaved Parmigiano cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- When the oil is shimmering, add the diced zucchini and cook without stirring until the pieces are well browned on the bottom. Then stir gently until browned on all sides.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add the garlic, sliced zucchini blossoms and lemon zest. Stir very gently to coat the blossoms with the oil.
- Add the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and parsley. Cover the sauce to keep warm and set the pan aside.
- Add the cavatelli to the boiling water, stir a few times and cook until al dente according to your package instructions. When cooked, drain and reserve about ½ cup of pasta water.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce.
- Using tongs, toss the pasta very gently to combine. Add a splash or two of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Place in a serving platter or individual shallow bowls and garnish generously with the grated cheese of your choice: Parmesan, Grana Padano or Romano.
Note: Cavatelli is a small, shell-like pasta that cooks up rather firmly. You can substitute orecchiette, small rigatoni or even penne if you wish. Garnishing the serving platter with whole zucchini blossoms makes a beautiful presentation. Serve with a soft white wine, like Soave or Pinot Grigio. This pasta could become one of your new summer favorites. Back to loving zucchini!
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