Give Thanks to Zucchini on August 8th!

When researching upcoming holidays, national days and other summer celebrations in search of inspiration, I came across the little known and eye-catchingly strange “National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day,” taking place on August 8th. Invented by eccentric actor Thomas Roy, the day purportedly exists due to the zucchini plant’s tendency to produce, produce, produce far more fruits than can be consumed by a typical home grower. Sneaking a basket of stripey green squash onto your neighbor’s porch helps take care of your excess produce, promoting communal food sharing and seasonal cooking along the way!

In this spirit of season-appropriate cooking, I would like to share my favorite zucchini-centric recipe: Zucchini Taglierini! For other recipes featuring zucchini (or courgette in French), check out The Year of Miracles, shortlisted for the 2023 Andre Simon Best Cookbook Award!

 

Zucchini Taglierini

Ingredients

Pasta of choice (the original recipe calls for handmade taglierini, I usually use penne rigate)

8 oz small green or golden zucchini

1 lemon

6 tablespoons virgin olive oil

5 tablespoons pine nuts (chopped walnuts are a decent substitute)

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

4 teaspoons capers, rinsed

2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips

Salt and pepper

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.

2. Slice the zucchini diagonally into ⅛-¼ inch thick slices. Line up the slices and cut them into narrow matchsticks. Each one will be tipped with green or gold.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small pan and add the nuts. Cook them until they begin to color, then add the shallots. Cook the two together on medium-low heat until the shallots are soft and the pine nuts are browned. Transfer them to a wide bowl and add the rest of the oil, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and about ½ teaspoon of lemon juice (to taste).

4. Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini matchsticks, and cook for 1 minute. Scoop out the zucchini, shake off the water, and add it to the bowl with the other ingredients.

5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to preference. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Toss the pasta and other ingredients together and serve.