Fried pumpkin and zucchini flowers are considered 'peasant food' in Italian culture. As a little girl my mother would ask me to go to the garden and pick these beautiful bright flowers. I would pick a bunch of these beauties; and bring them in and watch and learn as she prepared them. As she fried these "garden treasures" I would wait with anticipation. I knew how delicious these would be.
Today as I do the same, my heart goes back to that little kitchen where I learned these treasured delicacies and I share these memories and food with my son and daughter.
Lemon Fresh Spaghetti with Garden Sauce & Pumpkin Flowers
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 7 cloves of garlic - chopped
- 2 vine ripe tomatoes - diced
- 1 zucchini - sliced
- 2 dozen pumpkin flowers
- 1/2 lemon - sliced with skin
- Fresh basil leaves
- Canola oil - for frying
- Olive oil
- Fresh Romano cheese - sliced
- 1 egg plus a splash of water
- 1 - 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. of your favorite pasta
Instructions
For the Zucchini:
- Heat a large cast iron frying pan with a ¼ inch of canola oil; add the zucchini slices and fry until golden. Do not over crowd the pan. Place the slices on a plate prepared with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
For the Pumpkin Flowers:
- Rinse the flowers with cold water in a colander. Gently pat the flowers dry.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl; in another shallow bowl beat the egg with a splash of water. Dip the flowers first in the flour; then the egg-wash and again in the flour.
- Heat the frying pan with a ¼ inch of canola oil and place the prepared flowers in the heated oil. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry until slightly golden; then place the flowers on a plate prepared with a paper towel.
- Wipe any crumbs from the frying pan. Heat a frying pan with two or three tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes, garlic and lemon slices. Sauté the tomatoes on a medium heat until the tomatoes are soft and a sauce like consistency; add the seasonings to taste and the fresh basil.
- Prepare the pasta as the sauce cooks.
- Place the pasta in the sauce and toss.
- Plate the pasta; garnish with the fried zucchini and the fried flowers. Finish the dish with dashes of red pepper flakes; a drizzle of olive oil and fresh Romano cheese shavings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
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I am entering this dish into the Tuscany Now Cook-Off Competition.
#TuscanyNowCookOff
Enjoy with Love Always,
Catherine
xo
Silvia Brisi says
Delicious Catherine!! Tasty and yummy!!
Kisses!!
Nee says
This is a must make recipe , , thank you for sharing this delicious recipe .
Dottie Sauchelli Balin says
Dear Catherine,
Beautiful and so appealing to the eye! I love all of the ingredients in this memorable recipe from times long ago. Pure comfort food, that is a good fresh dish made with love for your family. I wish you good luck as you enter the "Tuscany Now Cook-Off Competition." This recipe is a winner in my book! Thank you for sharing...Have a blessed week!
Dottie 🙂
Tanya Walton says
Good to see yet another great sounding recipe from you Catherine. I have never tried frying squash flowers as I tend to let them fruit. Maybe it's something i will give a go this year though!!
Choc Chip Uru says
What a beautiful new website, it looks stunning 😀
And this fresh spaghetti looks so delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Cristina says
What a wonderful dish!
Have a nice day 🙂
Nicole says
This looks so beautiful! I always wonder what to do with the blossoms. Thanks for the lovely post!
Reeni says
Fried squash flowers are one of my favorite things! I love how you incorporated them into a recipe rather than just eating them as is! Mouth-watering delicious! Your new site is gorgeous! Very welcoming. I'm so happy for you. xoxo
Swathi says
Delicious spaghetti with fresh fried pumpkin flowers Catherine, thanks for sharing with Hearth and Soul blog hop. pinning and tweeting it.
Jocelyn McGaffic says
I didn't know you could cook and eat pumpkin flowers! This recipe looks absolutely delicious and I would love to try it some time. Thank you for linking up at #MerryMonday!
Miz Helen says
What a beautiful presentation for your delicious Spaghetti with Garden Sauce and Pumpkin Flowers! Thanks so much for sharing this AWESOME post with Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you are having a really fun day and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Michelle says
Beautiful dish! I love the idea of placing fried pumpkin blossoms over pasta.
Diane Balch says
I have childhood memories of eating these too. I made a stuffed shrimp version that you might enjoy.
http://www.simplelivingeating.com/2014/07/shrimp-filled-zucchini-blossoms-french.html
Joanna says
Really a beautiful dish ! I'll be featuring it tomorrow at the bewitch-titi-link-party 🙂
Amy Stafford says
I have enjoyed fried zucchini flowers dining out, but I have never made them at home. It is time, thanks for sharing, looks delicious.
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Dear Catherine, I have some squash flowers blooming right now. Have never prepared them but glad to learn how. Edible flowers are the best. I remember at the rehearsal dinner for our wedding - the look of confusion on my fiancee's face as the individual salads arrived, adorned with many edible flowers. Twenty-three years later, he'll eat flowers without a thought. That, Catherine, is progress!! HA. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope it includes some rest.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
What a beautiful, beautiful dish! Zucchini blossoms are one of my favorite food memories from childhood - I love them!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
Such a tasty dinner idea! I need to add this to my plans soon!
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Dear Catherine, I have yet to try pumpkin and zucchini flowers - this recipe sounds so exquisite! now I gotta get my hands on some pumpkin and zucchini flowers for sure!
Jess says
Oh my goodness...this sounds so amazing! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for Crafts, Recipes, and Tips and Tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!