Corkscrew Pasta Salad with Zucchini Blossoms, or Fusilli ai Fiori di Zucca: Zucchini blossoms are one of the harbingers of summer, tasty golden flowers that reflect the sun from which they spring. They're also quite versatile, and add a delicate note to this pasta salad. To serve 4 you'll need:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 pound (350 g) corkscrews
- 3 smallish yellow or orange bell peppers
- 8 zucchini blossoms
- 2 zucchini
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed
- Olive oil
- A hot pepper, seeded, ribbed and shredded
- A mozzarella weighing about 1/3 pound (150 g), diced
- The leaves from a sprig of basil, shredded
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Wash the vegetables. Stem, seed, rib, and dice the peppers. Cut the zucchini into matchsticks. Remove the stems and pistils from the zucchini blossoms and cut the blossoms into strips.
In a skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil with the garlic, and when it has become golden remove and discard it. Add the anchovy fillets and cook over a gentle flame, stirring, until they fall apart. Then add the bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes, followed by the zucchini, and after another 5 minutes the zucchini blossoms. Cook for another 15 minutes over a fairly brisk flame, and then allow the sauce to cool. In the meantime, bring pasta water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta to the al dente stage. When it's done drain it and chill it under cold water. Stir it into the sauce, together with the mozzarella, hot pepper, and grated cheese. Garnish with the basil and serve tepid.
Yield: 4 servings Corkscrew Pasta Salad with Zucchini Blossoms.
In a skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil with the garlic, and when it has become golden remove and discard it. Add the anchovy fillets and cook over a gentle flame, stirring, until they fall apart. Then add the bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes, followed by the zucchini, and after another 5 minutes the zucchini blossoms. Cook for another 15 minutes over a fairly brisk flame, and then allow the sauce to cool. In the meantime, bring pasta water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta to the al dente stage. When it's done drain it and chill it under cold water. Stir it into the sauce, together with the mozzarella, hot pepper, and grated cheese. Garnish with the basil and serve tepid.
Yield: 4 servings Corkscrew Pasta Salad with Zucchini Blossoms.
