Buy Clotilde’s latest book, The French Market Cookbook!
I’ve been a little hard on the patty pan squash, and for that I apologize.
About a year ago, I posted a recipe for Roasted Patty Pan Squash and Herbed Chickpeas, and wrote, “avoid patty pans that are larger than the palm of your hand: they will likely be watery and bland.”
I do stand by my statement that young and small patty pan squashes have more flavor, better texture, and undoubtedly more kawaii appeal than their bigger brothers, but that’s not to say the latter should be forsaken. Especially when you find one such specimen in your weekly vegetable basket, white and smooth as china.
Inspired by a string of chilly late summer days, I decided to make pattypan squash soup with it, a simple one, made with shallots and chicken stock in under thirty minutes. And to boost the flavor and tie it back to the season — fall, I’m not ready for you yet — I made pesto.
It’s a classic sort of pesto with basil and pine nuts, but instead of parmesan or pecorino I used ricotta salata, a pressed, dried and salted ricotta I’ve been playing with lately: it’s not a very meltable cheese, but I like its tang and milkiness, and it fares well in salads or in this condiment for my pattypan squash soup.
Because I love interactive dishes — especially soups, which can be a bit one-dimensional otherwise — I served the pesto in a jar at the table, for us to scoop into our bowls, stir, and watch the cream-white soup fleck with green. Add a hunk of fresh-baked pain au levain, and you’ve officially achieved dinner bliss.
Tag your pics with #cnzrecipes
Want to try this? Please share your pics on Instagram and Twitter — I can’t wait to see them!
PrintPattypan Squash and Pesto Soup Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesTotal Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 6.
IngredientsFor the soup:
2 shallots
1 pattypan squash, about 23 cm (9
0 Comments