The word ‘squash’ comes from ‘askutasquash’ in the Narragansett language. The Narragansett people are an Algonquian Native American tribe in Rhode Island.
Squash originated in the Americas and was one of the very first domesticated plants, even before corn and beans. The squash family (cucurbita) includes all the summer-squash varieties (like zucchini), all the hardshell winter-squash varieties (pumpkin, butternut, acorn, delicata, cushaw, kabocha, kuri), spaghetti squash, and gourds. Wild forms of cucurbita are hard-shelled, extremely bitter and poisonous to humans. One of those ancestral cucurbits, the coyote gourd (cucurbita palmata) is abundant right here in Yavapai County. Evidence shows that mastodons and mammoths ate wild cucurbita before they died out 10,000 years ago. They were big enough to absorb the toxin cucurbitacin and lacked the taste buds for bitterness. Archaeologists have found fossilized seeds in fossilized mastodon and mammoth poop!
For thousands of years indigenous people have selected and cultivated less bitter, less poisonous and more tender squashes. Today we know one version of cucurbita as summer squash — zucchini, patty pan, yellow or scallop. They have tender white flesh and soft skin. They are abundant, fast and easy to grow, maturing in just fifty days. For best results summer squash should be harvested when small (or they grow into large, tough gourds). Gardeners of summer squash usually have overflows and are happy to give them away. If you don’t have squash growing, there’s someone out there who’ll be thrilled to hook you up. Otherwise the abundance of summer squash is available right now from all local farmers.
I was eager to turn my squash abundance into a frittata. This is an Italian pasta-and-egg dish that’s cooked firm in a cast-iron skillet and served at room temperature, in wedges. It’s a traditional picnic food. I started cooking on the 95-degree summer day and decided I could not stand the heat, the stove, the grill or the oven. So I took the ingredients and made a pasta salad.
Cook ½ pound spiral pasta (e.g., rotini) in boiling salted water al dente (tender but firm). Drain in a colander rinse with cold water, toss with a little olive oil and set aside. Chop one large yellow onion and mince 6 cloves of garlic. Heat a wide skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic till they’re golden brown, stirring occasionally. While that’s happening, cut 1½ pounds of summer squash into roughly one-inch pieces. When the onions are ready, toss in the squash with ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes or paprika. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally till the squash is tender and lightly browned. Add 1 cup of coarsely chopped firm tomatoes. Mix well. Pour this mixture from the skillet into a wide bowl and chill in the refrigerator till cold, stirring every so often. You can move this step along by super-chilling in the freezer: set the open bowl in your freezer for 15-20 minutes and stir occasionally till cold, but not frozen. Then add pasta, ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup finely sliced fresh basil. Toss. Taste. Adjust with salt, pepper and olive oil. Serve chilled. Yum!
The next evening’s monsoon rain relieved the heat and I made the whole fritatta. The recipe is essentially the same except for the addition of eggs. It sets up to make a firm cake that can be cut into wedges and packed for lunch. Makes 6 generous servings using a 10½-inch cast-iron skillet.
Cook 6 ounces spiral or penne pasta in boiling salted water al dente. Drain in a colander, toss with a little olive oil and set aside. Chop one large yellow onion and mince 6 cloves of garlic. Heat the 10½-inch skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic till they are golden brown, stirring occasionally. While that’s happening roughly cut 1½ pounds summer squash into one-inch pieces. When the onions are ready, toss in the squash with ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and a generous pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes or paprika. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally till the squash are tender and lightly browned. Add 1 cup of coarsely chopped firm tomatoes and the pasta. Mix well. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Preheat the oven or broiler to high. Spread the pasta-and-vegetable mixture out over the pan. Beat together 8 eggs. For a vegan substitute use Just Eggs. Set a medium-low flame under the pan and slowly add the egg mixture, distributing it evenly among the pasta and veggies. Let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes, till half-set. Now sprinkle with ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese and transfer the skillet into the oven or broiler. Cook till lightly browned and eggs are fully set. Let cool 20 minutes. Take 15 fresh basil leaves, stack them up tightly and slice thinly. Serve at room temperature garnished with basil shreds and cut into wedges.
Chef Molly Beverly is Prescott's leading creative food activist and teacher. Photos by Gary Beverly.
