These stuffed squash blossoms are tender, seasonal and delicious. They make a terrific first course. As impressive as they are they are actually quite simple to make.
Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Basil
Print This Recipe Yield 10Source Adapted from Martha Stewart LivingPublishedIngredients
- ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
- salt and pepper
- 20 large fresh basil leaves
- 10 ½ cubes of mozzarella cheese
- 10 squash blossoms
- canola oil, enough to fry at 3 inches deep
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- .75 unknown cornmeal, ground fine
Directions
Put ricotta in a fine sieve set over a bowl. Let drain in refrigerator 3 hours or overnight. Discard liquid.
Transfer the ricotta to a small bowl and season it with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper; stir until smooth.
Lay 1o basil leaves out on a work surface. Drop about1 tablespoon ricotta onto 1 basil leaf. Place a mozzarella dice on top of ricotta. Then top it with another basil leaf, sandwich-style.
Carefully open 1 squash blossom removing the stamen if necessary.Place the stuffed basil leaf inside blossom. Press the blossom closed to seal. Repeat with remaining basil leaf stacks and squash blossoms.
Heat about 3 inches oil in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it registers 365 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Put eggs and cornmeal in separate small bowls. Dip 1 stuffed blossom into the eggs, then into the cornmeal to coat.
Fry in batches of 2 to 3 until golden, about 1 ½ minutes. Transfer to paper towels using a slotted spoon; let drain. Season with sea salt. Serve immediately.
While I do tend to check ingredients and labels a bit more now, I’m not sure that I’ve done that in the case of pasta (probably guilty of assuming that it was just flour and water, y’know, like pasta should be). But I will be checking now, so you can rest easy.
What is that shape of pasta in the first picture? It’s very interesting!
I was told fusilli by the woman who made it.
Thanks for sharing all research.
Where I totally agree: I prefer dried to the fresh most of the time.
Where i disagree: De Cecco is way better than Barilla. I don’t understand how Barilla became the “it” pasta. De Cecco is worth the splurge(grocery store cost).
Sometimes Trader Joe’s will have a special pasta for $1.50 in bags that is from Italy. It’s excellent. (NOT their every day pasta).
Making Pasta: People will use the finest flour to make egg pasta and it has no structure, BORING. I use semolina flour that I give a good grind to first to get it superfine and then knead and rest and although its still an egg pasta, it has that bite and structure to it.
But, then you weren’t looking for a soux chef/instructor were you?
You’re the best! I love your posts..always feels like there is fun music in the background.
This is great info Greg. I am a label reader, but I never thought to read the ingredients in my pasta, which is one of my favorite things. I checked at the grocery store last night, and sure enough, the pasta I was buying that I thought was good Italian semolina pasta was enriched. Luckily I was able to find a brand at whole foods that is imported from Italy and has one ingredient: organic durum wheat semolina, and it is not any more expensive than the other stuff. I can’t wait to make some. Thanks!
Thanks for all the pasta info! Your Walnut Pasta di Campania sounds just fabulous!
I swear I cannot keep up with you at all. I need to get online more than once a week, or quit work.
Don’t you think a lot of these pastas are marginally different in terms of utility? Perhaps the differences are more important in terms of preserving regional culture?
Hard to beat the decadence of egg based noodles, especially when fresh.
That’s some pretty good info on pasta. I’d love to try real pasta from Italy. I’m gonna try that pasta walnut. It looks really delicious! Looks like a great summer meal.