Basil Summer Squash Food

SUMMER SQUASH AND BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until very lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add squash; season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until squash begins to break down and gets jammy (they may start to stick to the skillet a bit, which means you are there!), 12-15 minutes. Toss in 1 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente.
• Transfer pasta to skillet using a slotted spoon or spider and add 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook pasta, adding 2 oz. Parmesan in stages along with more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. Toss in lemon juice and most of the basil.
• Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and Aleppo-style pepper and remaining basil.

YELLOW SQUASH WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
• Saute squash until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic; saute 1 minute.
• Add water, salt and pepper.
• Simmer until squash is tender, 6-7 minutes.
• Stir in basil.

SUMMER SQUASH SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot, add zucchini and onion. Saute for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and zucchini is crisp tender. Then add stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover and cook for 25 minutes. Add basil during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Mix the butter and flour together into a paste. Remove 1 cup of simmering stock and whisk in butter mixture until smooth. Add back into soup, stir until thickened. Remove soup from heat to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

SIMPLE SQUASH AND BASIL SAUTE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, squash, zucchini, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring, until tender, about 1 minute more. Serve immediately.

PAN-COOKED SUMMER SQUASH WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the zucchini is lightly seared and beginning to soften, three to five minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant -- less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down, about five minutes. Return the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the basil, and taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

SAUTEED SUMMER SQUASH WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Cut the squash in thick slices. Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the squash over high heat so that it is golden brown on both sides, but not overcooked. It should still be slightly crunchy. Remove with a slotted spoon as the pieces are cooked and place them in a serving bowl.
• Add the garlic to skillet, cook until golden. Add with oil left in pan to the squash. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with basil and toss. Serve hot or at room temperature.

CHILLED SUMMER SQUASH AND BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the squash length-wise, discarding the cores with the seeds. You just want the flesh and skin. This is where the flavor is. The seeds are mainly water.
• Heat the onions in a saucepan until just soft.
• Add the squash and season with salt. Heat for another 5 minutes.
• Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and the cinnamon stick.
• Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash are tender.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and puree until smooth using an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.
• Chill the soup in the refrigerator for 30-minutes to an hour.
• To make the basil oil garnish, use a mortar and pestle to mash together chopped basil leaves, grated lemon zest, minced garlic and olive oil. You might also use a mini processor.
• Ladle the chilled soup into bowls, drizzle with the basil olive oil and serve.

BASIL SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in stainless steel pot over high heat.
• Add garlic and jalapeno, stir until garlic begins to brown.
• Add soy sauce, beets, squash and salt.
• Add a dash of water, just to keep things moist.
• Stir occasionally, until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add onion, stir until onion softens slightly.
• Add basil, stir until wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Serve immediately, over rice if you like.

PASTA WITH BASIL AND SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat large covered saucepan of salted water to boiling. Add pasta; cook.
• Meanwhile, in a nonstick, 12-inch skillet, add squash and oil. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 8 minutes. Stir in pesto and 1/2 tsp of salt; healt to boiling. Add tomatoes with any juice and cook, 2 minute.
• Meanwhile, spoon ricotta into a small serving bowl.
• Drain pasta. In large serving bowl, toss pasta with squash mixture. Scoop ricotta dollops onto each serving. Garnish with basil sprigs.

SMOTHERED YELLOW SQUASH WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add half of squash and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer browned squash to a bowl, then heat remaining tablespoon oil and sauté remaining squash in same manner. Return squash in bowl to skillet. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add water, salt, and pepper and simmer briskly, covered, until squash is tender and most of liquid is evaporated, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in basil.