Compared with its compatriots (looking at you, tomatoes and stone fruit!), a bunch of squash at the bottom of the CSA box doesn’t elicit much celebration. But summer for me means finding new ways to cook with this underrated veggie. My favorite? This simple, silky sauce, made with zucchini, lots of shallots, and a tangle of anchovies. With all of the ingredients casually slung in a pot and cooked down until tender, the effort-to-reward ratio on this sauce is off the charts. Toasted buttered hazelnuts are the perfect punctuation, offering texture and nuttiness. Creamy without a drop of cream and packing nearly two pounds of zucchini (potassium! vitamin C!), this pasta is excellent alongside a few glasses of cold white wine. Seek out bright yellow zucchini such as Gold Bar for the sunniest color. —Shilpa Uskokovic
What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
$90 At Amazon
Blender
$49 $40 At Amazon
Small Skillet
$25 At Amazon
Large Pot
$65 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Tongs
$18 $14 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine squash, shallots, garlic, anchovies, oil, red pepper flakes, and turmeric in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot; toss to coat. Place pot over medium heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender but have not taken on much color, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a blender; reserve pot. Blend squash mixture until smooth. Season squash purée with salt.
Step 2
Cook hazelnuts and butter in a small skillet over medium-low, stirring often, until nuts are just golden, 6–8 minutes (nuts will continue to cook off heat). Season with salt.
Step 3
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Step 4
Transfer pasta to reserved pot; pour in squash purée and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing often and adding more pasta cooking liquid a tablespoon or two at a time if needed, until sauce is thickened and coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Step 5
Divide pasta among shallow bowls or mound on a platter. Top with Parmesan and basil. Spoon hazelnuts over.
