Pasta with Melted Summer Squash, Lemon and Sausage
Melting summer squash, by grating and sautéing, reduces it in size, concentrates its flavor, and gives it an increadibly creamy texture, perfect for coating pasta.
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb zucchini or other summer squash grated with box grater or food processor
- 8 oz good Italian sausage casing removed
- 2 oz grated aged Asiago cheese see note, plus more for serving
- Zest of 1 lemon
- freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
- 16 oz dried penne pasta (or other short pasta)
- olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
For the Sausage and Asparagus:
- Start by sautéing the Italian sausage in a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium high heat. Using a pair of wooden spatulas, smoosh and break up the sausages into little bits. Sauté until the sausage is thoroughly cooked and starting to brown. Expect about 5 minutes.
- Add the grated squash with one teaspoon of salt and continue to sauté. The total melting process takes about 15 minutes. Early on, you will see the squash poaching in its own juices. The release of water will slow over time. When you can swipe a clean swath across the bottom of the pan and water does not fill in the empty space, you are done.
- While the squash is sautéing, prepare the pasta in a separate pot according to the package directions in generously salted water.
- Finish the squash by stirring in the lemon juice, lemon zest and grated cheese. Drain the pasta and immediately combine with the lemony squash and sausage mixture.
- Serve hot, garnishing with a bit more grated cheese.
Notes
- I suggest aged Asiago cheese because my preferred cheese for this recipe is Calvander from Chapel Hill Creamery. Other aged grating cheeses also work well, such as Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.
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