Grab your squash blossoms and make a stunning bowl of this pasta loaded with noodles and zucchini noodles topped with crispy blossoms.
I couldn’t pass up on that summer zucchini or beautiful squash blossoms, so I made some pasta. Pasta and zucchini noodles.
I’ll be honest, I don’t love the idea of eating zucchini noodles instead of pasta. I do, however, love each of them both separately or combined, as they are in this dish. I found the perfect pasta to match my favorite zucchini noodle shape. It’s called pici. It’s like extra thick, chewy spaghetti and I love it. It might be a little tough to find though, so of course feel free to substitute it with regular or thick spaghetti.
Now lets talk about those squash blossoms. Typically I see them stuffed with ricotta, battered and fried, which is amazing, but I decided to do something different with these beauties. I sliced them into individual petals and deep fried them, no batter or anything. What could be wrong with that? The squash blossoms take on this beautiful curvy shape and add a salty, crisp bite to the top of the pasta. They are so good, you’ll want to make a few extra to snack on.
- 4 squash blossoms (2 is sufficient for the pasta, but you’ll want extra for snacking)
- 4oz pici pasta or thick spaghetti
- ½ medium zucchini, spiralized the size of the pasta
- ½ medium golden zucchini, spiralized the size of the pasta
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (omit if vegan)
- Zest of half a lemon
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. It should taste like the sea.
- As water is warming, heat 1-2 inches of light olive oil or vegetable oil in a small sauce pot to approximately 350°F. Line a large plate with paper towels.
- Make a slit down the side of the squash blossoms to open them up. Remove the center (stima/style/ovary area) and discard. Remove and discard the stem. Cut into individual (5-6) petals.
- Add a few petals to the hot oil and fry for about 1 minute total, flipping occasionally. When crisp, transfer to paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Fry in batches.
- Add pasta to boiling salted water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.
- After the pasta starts cooking, warm a large, nonstick pan over medium heat. Add oil, followed by the zucchini. Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender with a slight bite, about 2-3 minutes. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta cooking water as the zucchini cooks to help them steam. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the drained pasta to the zucchini. Toss to combine. Stir in parmigiano, lemon zest and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.
- Serve pasta topped with the fried squash blossoms. Enjoy.