Squash Flower & Zucchini Aglio E Olio

Executive Chef Gina Pezza, Vanda Cucina, Warwick

Squash blossoms are a sought-after Italian summer delicacy, so if you see them for sale at a farm market or honor stand, grab them! The typical preparation would be fried and/or stuffed, but I wanted to share that the flower can be more than a vessel that holds ricotta. Here’s another way of using the flowers, especially ones that are broken or slightly wilted and can't be stuffed. This recipe showcases the summer veggie “tip to tail” in a perfect light pasta for the season.

Photography By | June 10, 2024

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
  • 1–2 small to medium zucchini, sliced in very thin rounds
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
  • 10–15 cloves (1 head) garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8–12 high-quality anchovy filets packed in olive oil, drained and finely chopped
  • 16 squash flowers: 8 chopped into 1-inch pieces, 8 left whole
  • 1 pound spaghetti, capellini or linguine
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 lemon wedges
  • 2 ounces grated pecorino
  • 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs, toasted

Preparation

Toss zucchini with a splash of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and let marinate. This will soften and tenderize the raw zucchini. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large sauté pan, heat ½ cup olive oil on medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and stir until it just starts to color pale brown (but watch carefully so it doesn’t get darker and burn). Add anchovies, chopped squash flowers, a few grinds of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon to taste. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente and reserve some of the pasta water. Toss hot pasta into the aglio e olio, adding a bit of pasta water as needed to coat. Taste and add salt if needed. (Between salted pasta water and anchovies, it should be salted enough.) Lastly, fold in the zucchini, whole squash flowers and pecorino. Top with breadcrumbs and additional pecorino if desired.

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
  • 1–2 small to medium zucchini, sliced in very thin rounds
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
  • 10–15 cloves (1 head) garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8–12 high-quality anchovy filets packed in olive oil, drained and finely chopped
  • 16 squash flowers: 8 chopped into 1-inch pieces, 8 left whole
  • 1 pound spaghetti, capellini or linguine
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 lemon wedges
  • 2 ounces grated pecorino
  • 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs, toasted
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