Summer Squash Linguine

I traveled to Italy for the first time with my family when I was about 16 and it changed my whole life. Seriously. I remember each plate of pasta and the list of ingredients. It’s easy to remember because the ingredients are simple in Italy. It’s about the quality of the ingredients and the quality is what creates flavor. The plate of pasta I’ve fallen in love with over and over again, since I’ve been back to Positano, is from a restaurant called La Cambusa. What I do not remember is what it was called on their menu, but in my kitchen I call it La Cambusa Pasta. It’s linguine with zucchini and that’s pretty much it. I’ve spent years trying to recreate it and although it will never be the same as it is in Positano, it brings me back bite by bite.

Pair this wine with a crisp Italian white wine, which we often feature in our Seasonal Wine shipments.

Ingredients:

• Zucchini
• Zucchini Blossoms (if available)
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Parmesan
• Pecorino Romano
• Lemon juice +zest (1-2 lemons depending on how juicy your lemons are)
• Sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• Cracked black pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Linguine

Every time I make this, it’s a little different! I have found success with a couple different approaches and leave it to you to find the best one for your kitchen.

Recipe #1

Boil water and prep a bowl of ice cold water. Use a mandolin to slice the zucchini into thin rounds, practically paper thin! Blanch the zucchini rounds until bright green – About 30 seconds or so. Transfer immediately to the ice cold water. Strain the zucchini from the water and set aside onto a paper towel or cloth to help absorb excess water. Pat dry.

You can use the boiling water from the blanching for the pasta. The pasta will take about 6-7 minutes to become al dente and you will finish it off in a pan with the sauce. Throw the pasta into the boiling water with some sea salt.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a sauté pan big enough for the pasta with a 1/2 cup of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and slivers of garlic.

When the pasta is al dente, add directly from the boiling water to the sauté pan with the olive oil. You can do this by taking tongs to grab some of the pasta and transfer it or if you were cooking the pasta in a strainer within the pot, you can transfer it directly from the strainer into the sauté pan. Once the pasta is in the pan with olive oil, vigorously mix everything together to coat the pasta with the oil. Add a couple scoops of pasta water with a ladle to the pasta and mix together. Again, making sure the pasta is coated. The sauté pan should be on medium-low. The pasta water when mixed should begin to absorb and also start to create the sauce once you add in the cheeses and lemon zest. Throw in the cheeses, lemon zest and crack some black pepper over surface of the pasta. Mix everything together. Add more pasta water to continue creating a light sauce when mixed with the cheeses and oil. Add in some lemon juice and mix some more! You could keep adding lemon juice (forever 😉 Taste the pasta frequently while adding in the lemon juice until just right. You can also continue adding in pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Before serving, throw in the zucchini rounds and mix gently.

Spoon the linguine into a shallow bowl and garnish with cheeses, cracked black pepper, some leftover zucchini rounds if you have them, and lemon zest to taste.

Recipe #2

Prepare the Squash – Thinly slice the zucchini using a mandolin or sharp knife. Roughly chop the zucchini blossoms and set aside. Cook the Zucchini – In a large skillet over low heat, warm the olive oil and butter until melted. Add the zucchini slices and crushed garlic cloves, season generously with cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of salt. Caramelize Low & Slow – Let the zucchini cook down slowly, stirring occasionally. The goal is for it to caramelize and soften, almost melting into itself. This takes about 20 minutes.

Optional: Add a pinch of saffron at this point for a subtle floral note and golden hue.

Add Zucchini Blossoms & More Butter – Stir in the zucchini blossoms and a bit more butter if the pan looks dry. Fold gently to combine. The zucchini should start to resemble a rustic, jammy sauce. Cook the Pasta – Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until al dente, then reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water before draining. Combine – Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the zucchini. Pour in a splash of the reserved pasta water and fold everything together over low heat. Finish with Cheese & Lemon – Add a generous handful of grated cheese, stirring until it melts into the sauce. Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon and season to taste with more salt and pepper.

To Serve: Plate immediately with an extra drizzle of olive oil, a touch more cheese, and a few torn basil leaves if you have them on hand.