Breaking Italian Taboo? 30min Spaghetti with Zucchini Flowers
plus those tiny cups of water at Italian coffee bars and my first podcast interview!
Ciao friends! How was your week? We have flower pasta on the menu and everyone in the family is gonna love it. Once again we are matching pasta shapes with ingredients in a cool way, following traditional Italian culinary genius. It’s exciting. Jump to the end for the recipe or let me tell you about my first interview for an Italian podcast!
I was a bit nervous about this podcast. I developed a smidge of Italian-public-speaking-phobia during my divorce in the Italian courts. Close your eyes for a moment; imagine attempting to comprehend and speak legalese a foreign language. Now you understand.
So when my friend and writer/journalist, Vanessa, asked to interview me for Vite Narranti, a podcast about expatriate experience, I decided it was high time I put on my big girl pants and go for it. I’m so happy that I did!
In the 1 hour interview, we discussed what it’s like to lose all your cultural touchstones (and marbles!) in a foreign country, debunked cultural assumptions, and revealed our pet peeves about life in Italy. As a moka pot superfan, I, of course, took the opportunity to hype it with other likely superfans; my interviewers, Vanessa and Ray, did not disappoint! But then, I took it one step too far, demonstrating that even after 14 years of residency and Italian citizenship, I still sometimes don’t know what I’m talking about. In my attempt to compliment the genius of Italian food culture and the Italian people, I completely botched the purpose of those tiny cups of water served at Italian bars.
I had always just assumed that the thimble-sized water cup that traditionally accompanies an espresso at the bar (see photo below) is for rinsing out your mouth after the coffee. I remarked on what a clever and civilized food tradition this is. My interviewers gently, but immediately corrected me.
Riddle me this: what do you think the water in that espresso-sized water glass might be for?
Answer: The purpose of the water is to rinse the mouth before drinking the espresso…in order to better experience all its flavor and intensity…similar to the water providd before a wine tasting. The real reason is even more genius, more Italian, and of course, even more in line with their never-ending focus on the importance of food flavor and experience. I have so much respect for this food culture. Viva Italia!!
On to this week’s delicious 30 min recipe!
This week we are getting a teeny tiny bit fancy with the ingredients but still less than 30 min from start to table. We’ll be 'melting salty, savory anchovies with extra virgin olive oil for that rich umami flavor…AND adding parmigiano reggiano. But, you say, fish and cheese in an Italian pasta is taboo! It’s illegal in Italy! Our waiter yelled at us in Rome! Yes, maybe they did. But often in Italian recipes, anchovies are used to add salt and richness and are classically combined with the delicate flavor of squash blossoms AND parmigiano reggiano. The aged cheese brings a second layer of salty umami. A third layer of salty flavor, a spoonful of pasta water rounds out the dish. 3 different types of saltiness but without directly adding actual salt. This results in a sauce with deep, complex flavor made with simple, minimal ingredients.
There are many southern Italian dishes that use anchovies, olive oil, and garlic together a base for vegetable pasta. Orecchiete with cime di rapa (turnip greens) and broccoli pasta, are both from the Puglia region in the south where Mediterreanean anchovies are integral in the kitchen. Both are staple recipes in our house during winter and both can be traditionally topped with grated parmigiano.
Quick note about anchovies: Good quality anchovies packed in olive oil are not fishy and are salty, rich, and full of Omega-3s. If you’re new to my favorite ingredient, here are some recommendations for quality anchovies available in the US. Let me know in the comments if you already cook with anchovies and how!
Squash blossom prep: Delicate for a vegetable but robust for a flower, zucchini blossoms walk the line between bouquet and garden worlds. If we tear or cut the zucchini blossoms from stem to stern, they will soften when cooking and naturally align and twist around the spaghetti. It is more magical than platform 9 3/4. I realize that in the north of the northern hemisphere it’s a bit early for zucchini blossoms. If so, bookmark this later in summer where you are! The ingredients are as they say in Italy, pochi ma buoni, few but delicious.
The trick is to clean squash blossoms in the right way. They are part of nature, hopefully grown outside of a greenhouse, and a friendly bug could be hanging out inside. Honestly I’ve rarely found one, but if I do, if an insect wants to make that flower its home, it means I can feel good about putting it in my body! Detailed prep tips in the recipe below.
pst! Scroll to the very bottom to download recipe pdf!
Spaghetti with zucchini flowers
Spaghetti con fiori di zucca / zucchini
FOR 4 PEOPLE
8-12 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, good quality
8 anchovies in olive oil
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Pepperoncino or hot pepper flakes, optional, to taste
20 zucchini blossoms
400 grams spaghetti
40 g parmigiano reggiano, or more to taste
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Pasta cooking water, reserved
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Fill a big tall pot with water and salt. Set stove burner to high heat. Taste the water to make sure it’s salty like soup or the sea. Add more salt if needed.
2) Prep the squash blossoms
Cut off the base of the squash blossom and remove the fuzzy, bright yellow stamen or pistol; although its edible, it can be bitter. (See photo above.)
Fill a bowl with water and gently submerge the blossoms to rinse and remove any visitors.
Gently dry them.
Tear the blossoms into 1cm strips along the grain. You may cut them with a knife if you like, but I find tearing easier.
3) Heat the extra virgin oil, smashed garlic, and optional peperoncini in wide, low pan on medium-low heat. Once the garlic becomes fragrant and brown, remove it
4) Add the anchovies to the olive oil and don’t walk away! They will begin to naturally “melt” into the oil. Smash them with a wooden spoon to help them melt and create a sauce of consistent texture; about 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
5) When the water boils, add the spaghetti and cook to the package time (al dente), stirring occasionally.
6) Just before the pasta is ready, add the parmigiano and a spoonful of pasta water to your to the olive oil and anchovies on low heat. Stir until smooth; about 1-2 minutes.
7) Squash blossoms can be eaten raw so they only need 30-60 seconds of cooking time. Tip the flowers into the olive oil/anchovy pan with a squeeze of lemon. Stir until blossoms are coated with sauce. Turn off heat.
8) When the pasta is cooked al dente according to the time on the package, strain and immediately add to the still warm/hot squash blossom pan. Stir to combine for 30-60 seconds in the pan.
This light sauce will coat all the pasta with creamy, rich flavor but be nearly transparent in color. If the pasta seems not fully coated, add a few more spoonfuls of extra virgin olive oil and stir again.
Buon appetito!
Serving tips:
Serve with freshly ground pepper and more parmigiano to taste at the table
Notes:
Salt: It’s important not to skimp. This salt is flavoring both your pasta and also your sauce in the form of pasta water.
Squash blossoms: You can use any kind of squash blossom, not just zucchini.
Buon appetito!
x Lolly
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