Summer Squash, Corn & Anchovy Pasta
Nothing says summer quite like sweet corn and zucchini. Anchovy, garlic, olive oil, lemon, and parmesan cheese punch up our mellow vegetables while keeping the dish light. The secret ingredient here is adding a bit of the starchy pasta water to the sauce.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the pasta
1 pound (2 medium) summer squash, thinly sliced
2 ears corn, shucked and kernels removed (see note)
4 anchovy fillets, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch chili flake
1 pound short pasta (orecchiette, cavatelli, or strozzapreti)
½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
To serve
1 lemon, zest only
½ ounce basil leaves, torn
Freshly cracked black pepper
Chili flake
METHOD
Saute the aromatics. Heat a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil, anchovies, garlic, and chili flake, and cook for a minute or two. The garlic can brown lightly, but be careful not to burn it.
Add the veggies. Stir in the squash and corn and saute for 10 minutes. Add a splash of water if the veggies start to catch on the bottom of the pan. Set aside until the pasta is cooked.
Boil the pasta. While the veggies cook, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Season generously with salt - a good starting place is a teaspoon of salt per quart of water. Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of al dente (it will be undercooked in the middle). Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of pasta water (see note).
Finish the pasta in the sauce. Add the pasta to the veggie skillet along with ½ cup pasta water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente. Add more pasta water if the pan feels dry. When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and toss in the parmesan. Stir it in so the cheese melts into a creamy sauce. Taste for salt, and adjust.
Plate. Spoon the pasta onto a plate and top with basil, lemon zest, and black pepper. A bit more freshly grated parmesan never hurts.
Note: To remove corn kernels from the cob, first shuck the corn. Lay the cob on your cutting board. Treat the cob like it has four sides. With a sharp chef’s knife, cut straight down to remove all of the kernels from one side. Rotate the cob so the cut side faces down. Repeat on the remaining three sides.
Note: Finish your sauce with the pasta cooking water. The starch released from the pasta during cooking helps create a creamy emulsified pasta sauce.
FURTHER READING
