PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

My garden is overflowing with zucchini flowers and this is one of my favourite ways of using them. They are very delicate, in structure and flavour, and suitable for simple recipes that let their freshness shine.

Here is what you need:

400 g of pasta (I used tagliatelle, but spaghetti or fettuccini also work well)

8 - 10 zucchini flowers, depending on the size

3/4 cup fresh peas (optional)

5 eggs : 4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmigiano, plus more for over the top

salt and pepper to taste

reserved pasta water

Put a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.

Clean zucchini flowers by cutting off the stem, then removing the large pestle from the middle of the flower. Slice zucchini flowers into wide strips.

When water starts to boil, add pasta to water and cook according to the package instructions. If using, add fresh peas to the pot a minute before pasta is ready.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.

Place egg yolks and whole egg into a large enough bowl to hold everything. Stir with a fork or whisk until smooth. Add the cheese, season with salt (keep in mind cheese is salty) and a bit of pepper, then stir until combined.

In a slow stream and stirring constantly, add about 1/2 cup of hot pasta water to the egg and parmigiano mixture, making sure it doesn’t curdle.

When pasta is done, lift it out of the pot (along with peas) with tongs and place directly into the bowl with egg mixture, stirring pasta into the sauce quickly. You want pasta to be hot, this will thicken the sauce. Add a bit more pasta water only if necessary (don’t make it too runny or thin, placing pasta into the bowl directly from the pot should bring enough water with it), you should have a silky and shiny sauce, covering every strand of pasta.

Lastly, taste for seasoning again and adjust if necessary, then stir zucchini flowers gently through the pasta, the heat should just wilt them. Serve straight away, with a grating of more parmigiano over the top.

Note: make sure you are using fresh eggs for this dish!