We think of June as the height of spring, but really it is the beginning of summer. Squash blossoms are available as are a wider selection of herbs in our own garden. Because the early shoots are so flavorful, smaller quantities of early-summer ingredients add a potent flavor, and an otherwise small garden can make a real difference in the kitchen, as it does at Garrison Institute. Fresh cheese in this pasta dish combines and disperses sweet, fragrant bronze fennel, one of our “big” crops. Sweet garden peas are often still around in June, but the job of shelling fresh peas is generally too labor-intensive for the Institute kitchen. We buy fresh peas and fresh fava beans about once a year, because at the Institute, it’s an all-day, one-person job to prepare enough for a single dish to feed a large group. At home, it is worth it. The same is true if you see fresh fava beans in their pods at the market. Buy them at least once; they’re delicious, raw or cooked, as an alternative to the peas in this recipe.
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 12 squash blossoms, choose male blossoms (see Notes and Variations below)
- 2 cups fresh cheese, ricotta type, left out to reach room temperature (see Notes and Variations below)
- 2 cups raw fresh garden peas (substitute defrosted frozen peas or raw sugar snap peas cut into ½-in. pieces; see Notes and Variations below)
- ½ cup fruity olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped bronze fennel (substitute 1 tsp. freshly ground, untoasted fennel seeds)
- 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1 lb. high-quality fusilli pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained (any shape will do)
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (optional)
Directions
- Remove the stamen of the male blossoms by cutting off ⅛ inch of the flower from the stem end of the blossom. The stamen will easily slip out (to me, it’s bitter). Cut the blossoms into 1-inch pieces.
- If I have time, I whip fresh ricotta in a food process to make it creamy and smooth, but it is not a necessary step. Experiment and see which texture you prefer.
- In a bowl big enough to hold all the ingredients with room to stir, add blossoms and cheese, the peas, olive oil, Parmesan (if using), fennel, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- My family loves butter on pasta; if you like butter, add it to the cooked pasta. Using a rubber spatula, toss the pasta gently but thoroughly with the fresh cheese mixture. Taste and adjust the salt, and add a good quantity of cracked black pepper. The squash blossoms should be soft and wilted.
Chef Notes & Variations
We get a fresh cheese from a local dairy (Sprout Creek Farm) that is similar to ricotta. Whole milk ricotta, the fresher the better, is perfect.
When buying squash blossoms you may find female blossoms, attached to small squash, or male blossoms, attached to a stem. Both taste the same. If you are harvesting from your own garden, choose male blossoms. Only a few are needed to pollinate the plants so that they will bear squash. If you choose a female blossom, you will miss out on that squash.
If you can’t find fresh peas in the pod but can find tender raw pea greens, they make a good substitute. Chop a cup or two raw and add them to the cheese when you add the fennel. They will wilt when you add the hot pasta.
Our recipes are provided by Fresh Company, a catering service led by Executive Chef Shelley Boris, who has published recipes in various books and journals, including the New York Times and Food & Wine.
