A couple of nights ago, I had my first experiment with pattypan squash and it was so good I thought I would try again. I found a recipe from Rachael Ray, who I find extremely annoying these past couple of years, but the girl can cook and dumb it down for us non-professionals. On the Heebie Jeebie scale, I find her weird names for food just a scant frog hair below nails on a chalkboard and chewing aluminum foil, so I don’t watch her shows anymore. It was either quit watching, or risk killing my TV with a flying shoe. But online, she is great! I can read and not beg for tacks to drive into my kneecaps.
I followed her recipe a little more closely than I usually follow. 1) I was too tired to get creative and 2) She has rarely let me down with recipes.
- 1 pound bow tie pasta
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 5-7 small or 2-4 large pattypan squash, tips and stems removed, quartered
- 4 links of Archer Farms Spinach and Garlic chicken sausage, or pick another favorite
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon grated peel
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups of chopped broccoli
- 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
- In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, . Cook the sausage (heat, really. It’s fully cooked) until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Add the squash, broccoli, onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, lemon peel and reserved pasta cooking water.
- Add the pasta to the squash mixture. Add the sausage to pan. Toss in the mint and cheese; season with salt and pepper
