Linguine with zucchini flowers

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g pasta (linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti)
• 24 flowers (pumpkin flowers)
• 1 small onion(s), chopped
• 1 sachet of saffron (approx. 125 mg), dissolved in a little water
• 2 egg yolks
• 30 g grated Parmesan cheese (or Grana Padano)
• 30 g cheese, grated (Pecorino)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 15 minutes

Noodles with pumpkin blossom sauce

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. In the meantime, clean the pumpkin blossoms, e.g., with a damp paper towel. Set aside four blossoms for decoration. Remove the stems and stamens from the remaining 20 blossoms, then chop the blossoms. The blossoms will feel rough and almost thorny; don’t be irritated by this. Sauté the chopped blossoms and onions in oil and season lightly with salt. Add the dissolved saffron and simmer for about 5 minutes at low heat. Remove from the heat and mix everything with the grated cheese and egg yolks. Add the pasta to the sauce, mix well, and season with freshly ground pepper. Serve on plates and garnish each with a fresh blossom. Note for all non-Italians: The quantities are based on the amount of one “primo” in the Italian menu sequence (antipasti, primo, secondo, formaggio/dolce). For a main course, I would cook at least 500g of pasta for four people and also increase the amount of sauce slightly. Even sauce freaks should increase the amount of sauce, as the pasta doesn’t “float” in the specified amount, but rather, in keeping with Italian custom, is coated in the sauce.