Pasta with a Sauce of Zucchini Flowers

In the height of summer, the vegetable garden is full of blooming zucchini and pumpkin plants. In the early morning, before the heat sets in, the flowers open up and are at their best for harvesting. Of course, we always make sure to leave a few for the bumblebees and bees. Note: If you’d like to pick flowers from the Il Sogno garden, please check with us first to make sure they’re not reserved for something else that day ;-)

The following recipe has been a classic in our household for years. Everyone loves the subtle flavour of the flowers, combined with saffron — two ingredients that aren’t all that common in Dutch kitchens. It may feel a bit odd at first to chop up those beautiful blossoms (which you can also stuff), but once you’ve tasted the dish, you’ll understand. By the way, in Italy, you’ll find saffron at the supermarket checkout, and you usually have to ask for it — since there are also very expensive varieties. For this recipe, the affordable saffron powder is more than enough.

Zucchini Flower Pasta Sauce – Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 zucchini flowers

• 1 small onion

• Bunch of flat-leaf parsley

• Olive oil

• 1 sachet of saffron powder

• About 100 ml vegetable broth

• Salt and pepper

• 1 egg yolk

• Two handfuls of Parmesan cheese

Wash the zucchini flowers and let them dry. Finely chop the onion, flowers, and parsley. Add a generous splash of olive oil to a large frying pan and gently sauté the mixture for about 10 minutes over low heat, stirring regularly.

Meanwhile, dissolve the saffron in the broth. After 10 minutes, pour this mixture into the pan, stir well, and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

Cook your pasta of choice — I prefer tagliatelle for this recipe — until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in an egg yolk and a handful of Parmesan just before the pasta is ready. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce in the frying pan. Toss everything together and serve with extra Parmesan and some fresh parsley.

Buon appetito!