Jammy Summer Squash Pasta with Basil and Anchovies
It’s that time of the year where the zucchini and summer squash overflow the farm. Our farmers market booth and CSA shares are jam packed with ALL OF THE SQUASH! It’s a good problem to have in my opinion but I know sometimes folks get pretty tired of preparing zucchini/summer squash the same old way. So I thought today I would share this simple recipe for summer squash pasta. The squash itself is cooked down in a lot of butter and garlic until it reaches a soft, delicate and “jam like” consistency. You can almost spread this onto a slice of toast! It becomes so flavorful and the texture is absolutely divine. I couldn’t resist the addition of anchovies to add a little zing, but if you are apposed to anchovies you can simply leave them out and add a touch more salt and parmesan. Anyhow, I’m really excited to share this recipe with you all. I was inspired to make this from my friend Ashley Marti of the blog Local Haven and now I am hooked! Happy cooking everyone!
Jammy Summer Squash Pasta with Basil & Anchovies
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
- 5 anchovy fillets, drained and minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil + extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 5 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 pounds summer squash or zucchini (or a mix of both) quartered lengthwise and sliced
- hefty pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- hefty pinch of salt and pepper
- 12 ounces pasta
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or any hard salty cheese)
Preparation
- In a small bowl mix the anchovies, basil and olive oil.
- In a deep skillet, warm the butter and sauté the garlic over medium heat, until just beginning to soften. Add the squash, chili flakes and season with salt and pepper. Give the pan a good toss with tongs and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the squash has softened and become "jammy."
- While the squash cooks prepare your pasta in boiling water until al dente.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pasta to the skillet and toss everything together. If it seems a bit dry, add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Continue to toss the pasta and then add the freshly grated parmesan cheese, anchovies and basil.
- Divide the pasta between bowls and garnish with more basil and parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.
Looks delicious. We don’t have anchovies but I’m going to try with fresh crab and do a sautéed finger crab meat. Will let you know how it goes! Thanks for the idea!
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!
Making this tonight. Went to the farm stand and grabbed some squash since i don’t grow it anymore. Squash borers won too many rounds for now! Gonna toss in a serrano for fun. Thanks 🙂
YUM! my partner and I are super stoked to eat this tomorrow. No basil here but we have pesto, which I am excited to try with anchovies. Thank you!!
I made this tonight and the two of us could’ve eaten all of it! Fast, super easy, and a yummy way to use some of the squash that’s growing like crazy in my garden. As always, DUTD knocks it out of the park. Thanks, Andrea