Pasta With Zucchini Blossoms Food

PASTA AI FIORI DI ZUCCA (PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS)

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water, stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Stir in penne and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta-cooking water.
• Clean and rinse zucchini blossoms, removing the inner parts (stigma or anthers); coarsely chop the flowers.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat; cook and stir garlic in the hot oil until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir parsley, saffron, and reserved 1/2 cup of pasta-cooking water into skillet; stir to combine. Add zucchini blossoms and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cornmeal into mixture and stir constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Gently fold penne pasta into zucchini blossom mixture and top with Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper.

PASTA WITH CLAMS, ZUCCHINI, AND ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Soak clams in cold salted water for about 1 hour. Drain.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
• While spaghetti is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet and cook garlic for about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet. Add white wine and clams and cover. Cook until clams open, about 2 minutes. Remove clams from pot. Remove from shells, making sure to catch the liquid. Stir in zucchini and zucchini blossoms; season with salt and red pepper flakes and pour in clam juice. Cook until zucchini are soft, 7 to 10 minutes. When zucchini are almost soft, add clams and heat for 1 minute. Add drained spaghetti and parsley. Season with pepper.

ZUCCHINI, FETA AND SQUASH BLOSSOM PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and liberally season with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Heat the butter and olive oil until the butter melts. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn has softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to low.
• Add the pasta, squash blossoms and chopped basil to the skillet. Stir together, adding the reserved cooking water, if the mixture looks too dry. Add the feta and stir through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper, if needed.
• Scoop into a large shallow bowl and garnish with basil leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Soak the sun dried tomatoes in a small cup of hot water for 30 minutes. Remove from the water and roughly chop.
• Place tomatoes and lemon juice a bit at a time in a food processor with the goat cheese, pulsing until well blended and the flavor is satisfactory to you.
• Combine the flour with a few good shakes of salt and pepper and blend well.
• Pour out some of the flour mixture onto a clean dry plate.
• Gently rinse and dry the zucchini blossoms, removing the stamens and pistils carefully (You may find that using tweezers helps, otherwise just be patient).
• Spread petals slightly and spoon a small amount of filling mixture into each blossom, or squeeze from a plastic bag with a corner snipped off if it is easier for you to fill it that way.
• Leave enough room at the top of each blossom to twist it closed.
• Once blossoms are filled and sealed, dip each flower into beaten egg and roll gently in the flour mixture until lightly coated (If you find you've made too much filling, just save it to toss with pasta or spread on bread or crackers).
• Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan to heat (medium high).
• When the oil is hot enough, carefully place blossoms in the oil a few at a time with a slotted spoon, turning until each is golden and just lightly crispy.
• Drain on paper towels and serve. Enjoy!

PASTA WITH TOMATOES, SQUASHES, AND BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Saute squash and zucchini in olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until pale gold, about 8 minutes. Add pasta with cooking water, plus tomatoes, 4 sliced and 3 whole squash blossoms, cheese, and mint. Cook, stirring, until a sauce forms, about 1 minute. Drizzle with oil; toss.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Put a large pot of salted water over high heat; this will be your pasta pot. In a large skillet, warm a splash of olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the red onion, celery, carrot, and Italian parsley, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent. Add the zucchini blossoms, a pinch or two of salt, and the saffron, and stir gently to mix. Add about ¾ cup of broth, and stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the rest of the broth a splash or two at a time, taking about 5-8 minutes to add it all. Stir frequently. Allow the sauce to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and only a thin film of thickened broth remains in the pan. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk slightly with a fork. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until tender but al dente. When the pasta is almost ready, place the zucchini blossom sauce back over medium heat. Use a small measuring cup to scoop up about 3 Tbs of pasta water and, whisking constantly with a fork, gradually add the hot water to the egg yolk: together, they should make a loose, pale yellow liquid. Pour this mixture into the sauce in the skillet, stirring well. Using tongs or a spider, scoop the finished pasta from its pot into the skillet, and toss with the sauce over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Serve, topped with grated Pecorino.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS, AND CARAMELIZED ONIONS

Steps:

• Gently rinse and dry zucchini blossoms. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until deep golden, about 20 minutes; set aside.
• Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini blossoms and sauté until wilted, turning, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels and gently blot. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini cubes; sprinkle with salt and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, caramelized onion, and crushed red pepper to zucchini mixture; sauté 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add vegetable mixture and 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid to pasta and toss to coat, adding more liquid if dry. Stir in cheese. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl; top with blossoms and sprinkle with parsley.