Got zucchini blossoms?

If you're like me, your zucchini and squash plants are making lots of extra male flowers (the ones w/out the tiny fruit attached) right about now. Of course, you need to leave a male blossom or two on the plant to pollinate the fruits, but here's a delicious and easy recipe to use all those tasty extra blossoms:

Spaghetti with Zucchini Blossoms (Serves 4 as a first course or 2 as an entree)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon dried chile flakes, grated
rind of 1 lemon, grated
16 to 20 large zucchini blossoms, trimmed of the stem and stamen and cut into thick strips
salt
spaghetti, enough for four as a first course, cooked al dente
grated Grana Padano cheese (or substitute Parmigiano)

Preparation:

Gently melt the butter over the lowest flame in a heavy medium-sized skillet. While the butter melts, cut the garlic clove into chunks and add to the butter. Let it infuse as the butter melts. Remove the garlic. (You can slice it thinly if you like it left in, but it will likely overpower the delicate flavor of the blossoms.) Add the dried chile flakes and the grated lemon rind to the melted butter.

Stir around with a wooden spoon, then add the zucchini blossoms. Stir around until the ingredients are amalgamated and add a dash of salt to taste. Add the cooked and well-drained spaghetti (should be just cooked and hot) and toss in the pan until coated. Serve sprinkled with grated Grana Padano cheese.


Variation: After adding the blossoms, add 1/2 cup of milk to the butter mixture. Simmer until thickened a little. Add in 1/4 cup grated Grana (or Parmigiano) cheese and 2T fresh chopped basil. Cook for a minute more, then pour over the spaghetti. (For an even richer dish, add 1/2c ricotta along with the milk.)

2nd variation: Add 1c grated zucchini along with the blossoms and cook about 1 minute before proceeding.
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Note: If you don't can't harvest enough blossoms in a single day, I find that they will keep well in a Mrs. Meyers (or dollar store) "green bag" in the fridge for a couple of days until you have the proper amount to make the dish.