Costata Squash “Pasta”

Great Gluten Free Pasta

Total Time: 10 Min + Topping or Sauce Prep Servings: 2 - 3

Posted by Lo

After over a year without pasta (yes, I’m on the gluten free bandwagon and have not found any of the gluten free alternative pastas satisfying), it suddenly occurred to me that there might be a substitute right under my nose. After a little interweb research, and some trial and error, I have developed a system to create very satisfying pasta from our heirloom zucchini, Costata Romanesco. Its firm texture and large size works perfectly to create long strips of squash that don’t fall apart when cooked. You can easily twirl the squash strands on your fork, even after coating with sauce.

I have eaten this Costata pasta almost plain, either with butter and parmesan or with fresh chopped tomatoes, basil and olive oil, and it’s delicious. But it also holds up well to heavier sauces, such as marinara, primavera, Bolognese, cream sauce or pesto. It is my new go-to on those days when I can’t face complicated cooking.

INGREDIENTS
1 medium Costata Romanesco squash per serving
Salted water
Sauce of your choice (fresh heirloom or San Marzano sauce is divine with this pasta)
Grated parmesan cheese

PREPARATION
FIRST CREATE YOUR PASTA...
My preferred method is to quarter the Costata Romanesco into long “pickles”, then use
a vegetable peeler to create long tagliatelle-like strips.

You can also use a mandolin, on any of the settings. Julienne creates a nice texture – a bit chewier.

THEN COOK YOUR PASTA...
Bring salted water to a boil.
Add squash pasta and cook over high for 1-2 minutes.
Drain well and divide onto plates

FINALLY, COVER THE PASTA...
My favorite is a primavera with whatever veggies are in the market (broccoli, sugar snap peas, fresh corn, etc), topped with parmesan.

I also love simple pasta dishes. I will melt butter in a pan and stir the drained pasta into the butter along with some ground sea salt before serving. Serve topped with fresh ground pepper and grated parmesan cheese.

Another classic is to cook finely chopped garlic in olive oil until fragrant, toss in coarsely chopped heirloom tomatoes with a bit of ground sea salt, then ladle onto the pasta and top with chopped basil, ground pepper and parmesan cheese.

Or you can do whatever makes your heart sing and your taste buds dance!

Pomodoro Sauce Heirloom Tomato Sauce