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Prep time
30 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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Serves
4
Author Notes
Take a break from shredding your zukes! This pasta sauce is pureed smooth to yield a creamy and fresh dish, big on flavor but low in effort. Top it with ricotta cheese (bonus points if you make your own!) for a simple way to use up that quickly dissappearing summer bounty. I blanched and froze pounds of squash to preserve them, and later used them to make this simple pasta sauce. Try different herbs - basil and oregano work well here, as do a sprinkle of chives for garnish. If you make your own ricotta, save a half a cup of the whey and add to the final pasta to make it even richer. —chhirtzel
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Ingredients
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1 pound
Summer squash, any size, shape, or color
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1/2 bunch
Parsley (or basil if desired)
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1/2 bunch
Dill
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4 tablespoons
Butter
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2 tablespoons
Champagne Vinegar
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4 bunches
Dried pappardelle pasta
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8 tablespoons
Ricotta cheese, to finish
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1 tablespoon
Olive oil
Directions
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Cut squash into equal sized pieces, reserving 1 whole squash for later. Blanch in well salted water at a rolling boil for 10-15 minutes or until soft but not waterlogged. Save the water, and throw in the pasta. Cook until al dente while you make the sauce.
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Strain squash and transfer to the canister of a high powered blender. Add herbs, and give a few quick pulses until the squash is broken up and resembles a chunky soup.
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With the blender running, add 3 tbsp of butter, small pieces at a time. If the butter is cold from the fridge, wait until it's well melted and incorporated into the mixture before adding the next tbsp.
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Add champagne vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste and kick the blender into high gear until the mixture is lighter in color and creamy in appearance.
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Add in cooked pasta and squash sauce. Mix well, moving around the pan thoroughly to coat the pasta. If it looks dry, add a tbsp of the pasta water at a time until it comes together. Add in the sauteed squash pieces.
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Plate either individually with a dollop of the ricotta per serving, or in a large serving dish with little dollops of the cheese all around. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper and sprigs of leftover herbs or a drizzle of oilve oil.
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Squash sauce can be prepared 3 days ahead of time and kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
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