Pasta with summer squash

This is a marvelous dish during the height of summer when your garden or the farmers market is bursting with an abundance of squash. I like to use a mix of squash–zucchini, pattipan, and zephyr (the half yellow, half green ones) but you can mix and match as you see fit.

• 1 lb short pasta fusilli, penne, etc.
• 1 quart squash, cut into bite-size chunks
• 2 c halved grape tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
• 1 handful basil leaves chopped
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• olive oil
• Black pepper
• Grated Parmesan or Romano for serving

In a collander, toss the squash with 1 TB kosher salt. Let sit for at least 1/2 hour. Rinse quickly and pat dry with paper towels.

Put the pasta on to cook.

Hear a few TB olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper and let it sizzle for a moment. Add the squash and cook, stirring now and then, until the squash is just starting to brown and is partially cooked. Add the tomatoes and basil, stir, and simmer for a few minutes. Season with pepper, mix with the drained pasta, and serve with cheese on the side.

Zucchini with anchovy sauce

Don’t let the mention of anchovies scare you off. The small amount in this recipe adds a wonderful depth and umami flavor to the sauce. Serve on long pasta, spaghetti is ideal.

4-6 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, 6-8 inches long
4 flat anchovy fillets, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, 1 clove minced, 2 cloves sliced into thirds
½ c olive oil
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes, or canned whole tomatoes cut up, with juice
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan or Romano cheese

Serves 4

Cut the stem off the squash and then cut each crosswise into 3 pieces. Stand each piece on end and make 2 vertical cuts to give you 4 wedges. Put into a colander, sprinkle with 2 tsp salt, and mix. Set aside for at least an hour.

Put minced garlic in a 2 qt saucepan with 3 TB of the oil. Heat over medium until the garlic is sizzling, then remove from heat. Let the pan cool down to almost room temperature. Put back on the burner at its lowest setting, add the anchovies, and stir/mash with a wooden spoon until the anchovies are reduced to a paste. Add the tomatoes/juice, a few grindings of pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Let simmer, partly covered, for 20-30 min until slightly reduced. The sauce may be done ahead of time. Correct salt if needed.

Put a large pan of water on the stove to heat (for the pasta).

While the sauce is cooking, quickly rinse the squash to remove excess salt, drain, and spread on paper towels. Pat with more towels to remove excess moisture. Heat (medium heat) the remaining oil in a non-stick skillet large enough to hold the squash in 1 layer (or use 2 skillets if necessary). Add the sliced garlic and sizzle until browned, a few minutes. Remove and discard the garlic–the idea is to flavor the oil. Add the squash and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Turn off heat and leave squash in pan (but don’t let it overcook).

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. If necessary, reheat the sauce. Put the pasta in the pan with the sauce and mix well. To serve, put ¼ of the pasta on each plate and top with ¼ of the zucchini. Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Pasta with asparagus and wild mushrooms

Simple and delicious! You really should have oysters mushrooms for this, and lately these can be found in some markets. Lacking these, the regular store-bought “button” mushrooms will do.

Oyster mushrooms cleaned and cit into bite-size pieces, about 2 cups.
One bunch asparagus.
Good quality olive oil, about 1/2 c
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 3/4 pound long pasta

While making the asparagus, cook the pasta in salted water per package directions. Try to time it so the pasta is done just a moment or two before the asparagus is ready.

Heat a couple of TB oil in a non-stick skillet and cook the mushrooms and a pinch of salt over medium heat until cooked through and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the tough stem ends from the asparagus and discard (or save for soup). Cut the trimmed asparagus stalks into 3 pieces, keeping the tip pieces separate from the stem pieces. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Heat another couple of TB oil over medium heat and add the asparagus stem pieces. Sauté for about a minute and then add the tips. Continue cooking until just crisp-tender, return the mushrooms to the pan, and season to taste with S&P. Dress with the remaining oil, toss with the drained and still-hot pasta, and serve with Romano or Parmesan cheese to grate on top (no, NOT the pre-grated stuff!).