Every year, there’s a zucchini problem, and it goes something like this: Too many zucchini, not enough ideas.
Oh, sure, you can avoid them. That is, if you’re not a gardener who planted them, or a community-supported-agriculture subscriber who gets them in your box, or a market shopper who was seduced by the stacks of green.
As a vegetarian dedicated to seasonal eating, I usually eat my fill for as long as they’re around, and even miss them when they’re gone. Well, maybe a few months after they’re gone.
Until then, here’s another idea for cooking them simply: You coarsely grate the zucchini, cook it with onion and garlic, brighten the lot with lemon juice, and toss it with pappardelle pasta and pine nuts. The zucchini almost disappears (a boon if you – or your dinner guests – aren’t a fan), and the dish tastes summery and fresh. Best of all, you’ve dispatched another couple zucchini in the process.