Linguine With Zucchini, Capers, Lemon, Pine Nuts, And Herbs

Ruth at Once Upon A Feast had a great idea--Presto Pasta Night. And I'm very glad she had this idea. I realized that I haven't fixed pasta in over a month. How did that happen?  Very odd, as we usually eat pasta at least once a week.  So, thank you very much Ruth, you got me back on the pasta track.  I'm sure there will be many others making lovely pasta recipes and you'll find their efforts in the Roundup at Ruth's site this Friday.

It's been cold and wet here, not cheerful at all. One thing that brightened my mood was this simple little centerpiece of speckled baby Iris bulbs.  I love these early spring flowers and have larger Iris plants in my yard, but they are weeks away from flowering. This little centerpiece is on a small breakfast table and it makes me smile each morning as I eat my oatmeal.  I offer it for Janelle's Centerpiece Of The Month at Talk Of Tomatoes which ends tomorrow for February!  There will be better and more artful centerpieces than mine there for your consideration.

The Iris on the left whispered to me this morning, "Spring is coming!" 

The rain was constant today and it was so dark during the afternoon, it looked like early evening.  I decided to make this pasta recipe because the ingredients remind me that in a few months, the sun will be shining its light on a regular basis and the summer vegetables will start to appear at the farmers market. This recipe is almost like a pasta salad. In fact, it tastes very good at room temperature, but I prefer it warm.  It's simple to make, but full of big flavors.

There's not much cooking to this. You saute pine nuts and shallots for a few minutes then put them into a big bowl along with dried tomato shreds, capers, lemon peel, herbs (parsley, marjoram, and thyme), and olive oil. 

Then the zucchini is cooked for one minute in the boiling water intended for the pasta, then scooped out and placed in the bowl with the pine nut mixture. The pasta then cooks in the water and goes into the bowl as well. Then it's just a matter of tossing it all together and serving it with some parmesan.

Linguine With Zucchini, Capers, Lemon, Pine Nuts, And Herbs

(Adapted from The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison)

1 lb. linguine
8 ounces small, firm green or golden zucchini
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs:  parsley, marjoram, basil, chervil, thyme,, and others of your choice
1 lemon
6 Tablespoons virgin olive oil
5 Tablespoons pine nuts
4 shallots, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed in water
2 sun dried tomatoes, cut into narrow strips
salt
pepper
grated parmesan

Slice the zucchini into pieces about the same thickness as the pasta you are using, then cut them into narrow matchsticks.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Using as many of the herbs of your choice that you want, pull the leaves off the stems and chop the herbs roughly.  Remove the peel from the lemon with a vegetable peeler, then cut the peel into thin slivers

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil in a small pan and add the pine nuts. Cook them until they begin to color, then add the shallots and cook over medium heat until the shallots are limp and the pine nuts have colored even more. Do not burn the pine nuts.  When done, transfer this to a large bowl, along with the lemon peel, capers, herbs and dried tomato slices.

Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini and cook for 1 minute, Scoop it out and shake the water off and put tit into the bowl with the pine nuts mixture. Then boil the pasta until al dente, drain and place in the bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice to taste.  Toss until the noodles are coated with the oil and herb mixture.  Serve with the grated cheese, passed separately.

Serves 2-4

Comments

[Tanna]

Madison steps in again. I love her books and the recipes.
Your photos are fantastic! Beautiful.

[Lydia]

Mouthwatering photos! I haven't had pasta in ages, and this dish reminds me of what I've been missing.

[Kate]

Mmmmm... that looks so wonderful, like springtime on a plate. Great photos too!

I love the little iris garden. It truly does whisper 'spring' when I look at it.

[Patricia Scarpin]

Sher, this is delicious!

Your ingredient combinations are always so good, and pasta is always welcome.

[Alisha]

Your pasta looks absolutely delicious! I'll have to join in the pasta night and see if I can come up with something at least half as good looking. :-)

The flowers are beautiful too. It was just the "spring" I needed this morning since our wind is blowing horribly again today.

[Glenna]

The pasta looks fantastic! Really beautiful. And so do the iris. I keep thinking I need to get my bulbs out that I've stashed in the fridge and pot them but I'm not as organized as you are so I might take mine directly to the ground in a few weeks! Lovely.

[ann]

you know, marjoram is one of those herbs you don't see much of, but it really is tasty. I bet it played rather nicely with the zucchini. yum!

[Ruth]

What beautiful photos and a perfectly divine pasta dish. Can't wait to try it!

[Mimi]

This really cheers me today!

BTW, I am adding a link on my site. I have been remiss.

[Anh]

Sher, your post is so beautiful - the pasta & the baby iris. I love iris, so beautiful!

I'm saving your pasta recipe now. Sound so yummy. :) And I love the way you put: serve 2-4. Some of my 4-portion pasta recipes were just enough for 2 :D

[whaleshaman]

lovely in all ways, thanks.

[Callipygia]

I especially like the ribbons of zucchini. This looks easy and good. Bytheway- made the Sicilian chicken with lemon and mint. It was interesting, just as you said the mint is something totally different cooked like this. I did not use enough mint though. I just got 2 packages at the store, so i'll make it again when mint is abundant. Easy and flavorful

[gattina]

Sher, what those tiny pink flowers around Iris? They look lovely! I love flower in the house, but for no reason I develop allergy in these two years *sigh*
Linguine and zucchini are my all-time favorite! Your idea of combining the other ingredients/ herbs is really excellent!

[Mae]

Hi Sher, your photos are stunning!!! I'm sure the pasta tasted wonderful too.

Gorgeous deep blue Iris you have there. Reminds me too that spring is nearly here. :)

[sandeepa]

What pretty photos. The Iris looks so so lovely. Did you grow them indoors, the ones in the centrepiece ? Did you grow them from bulbs ?

[aria]

i bet sun dried tomatos and zucchinni are a match made in heavan. i could eat a big plate of this right now for breakfast!! send help...

[Jennifer]

Gorgeous centerpiece, Sher! It's absolutely beautiful!

And of course, the food looks awesome too! :)

[Joy T.]

Irises were the flower I had at my wedding a hundred years ago and the same color as these too. I just love them and these little baby ones of yours are too cute! What a great Centerpiece of the Month. I am also printing out this recipe. Yum yum yum!

[Freya]

The flowers AND food are both beautiful!

[kristi]

Those flowers are so pretty. And if you see spring, please send her to cold and snowy upstate NY!

[Susan from Food "Blogga"]

What a gorgeous post Sher! I love everything about it! And with my grumbling tummy, I am literally going into the kitchen right now to whip up this pasta (minus a couple of ingredients I don't have). So thanks for the inspiration!

[sher]

Tanna,

Thank you!! Yes, I have yet to find a bad Deborah Madison recipe.

Lydia,

Thank you! You and I both fell out of the pasta habit. :):)
I wonder why?

Kate,

Thank you! Yes, and since they are so fleeting, it makes the Iris flowers really special, don't you think?

Patricia,

Thank you! We enjoyed this recipe quite a bit. It has a lovely fresh taste.

Alisha,

Thank you! I'm sorry you are having strong winds. We get them in March and I'm not looking forward to them. They often flatten my daffodils as soon as they flower. :(

Glenna,

Thank you! Me organized?? You're the organized one. :):)

Ann,

I never see marjoram in the store. I planted some in my garden last spring and it's done quite well. So, that worked out for me.

daffodils
Ruth,

Thank you!

Mimi,

Thank you about the link, I've been meaning to add yours....but I'm so disorganized lately. :)

Anh,

Thank you! Yes, in our house that is a 2 serving recipe. But, if other people were present, I could stretch it out to 4. :):)

Whaleshaman,

thank you!

Callipygia,

I have to admit, I really piled the mint on in that Sicilian Chicken. Like you, I used 2 big bunches of mint! I wish my mint would start growing again! I am making a lot of recipes with it now, and it's getting a little expensive buying it.

Gattina,

Oh no! I'm so sorry you are allergic to flowers in the house. Now...I must admit, I don't know the name of the pretty pink flowers. I bought some long branches with those tiny flowers weeks ago and stuck them in a vase. Then I cut off the tips of those branches and stuck them in around the pot of Irises. :):) Like you, I would like to know the name of those flowers. If I ever find out, I'll let you know!

Mae,

Thank you! I would love to see what spring looks like where you live. I bet it's beautiful!

Sandeepa,

Thank you! I must admit, that I bought them already planted in the container. Sometimes I plant lots of bulbs in containers and set them around the house, but I didn't do it this year.

Aria,

I'll send you the pasta if you send the sweet and sour pork!! :):)

Jennifer,

Thank you! You, know--some people eat Irises too. (Not me.) :)

Joy T,

I think irises are perfect because they always symbolize beginnings to me. And they're beautiful too, (which is very important at a wedding).

Freya,

Thank you!

Kristi,

Ok, I saw spring and told her--but you know how these nature entities are--very head strong and unpredictable. Like teenagers. I tried!

Susan,

Thank you! I hope the pasta turned out for you. Pasta is so versatile, can't see how I could ever live without it!

[s'kat]

For some reason, we have not had pasta this week, either! Nice entry for the new event. And the bit of colour is most welcome!

[Lisa]

That pasta looks gorgeous. I just attended a pasta-making workshop and we made tagliatelle; it would be fabulous in this recipe!

[Ivonne]

Sher,

That pasta is unbelievable. I'd like to twirl myself in it!!!