For this pasta with zucchini, you'll need extra virgin olive oil, zucchini, garlic, parmigiano reggiano, and of course pasta.

How to clean zucchini flowers (AKA squash blossoms)

Zucchini flowers are very fragile and go bad quite quickly, so only buy them a day or so ahead. And only clean them right before you make this recipe, otherwise they’ll wilt and become soggy.

Fill a bowl with water and gently submerge the flowers. Pick up one, we like to keep it submerged, so the water keeps the petals open. Then reach inside and pinch off the stamen or pistil.

Technically, the stamen and pistil are edible. But if not cooked for long enough can be bitter. Therefore, we just remove them. Don’t worry if the flowers tear or break because they’re going to cook down in the sauce. Rinse them and place them in a colander to drain.

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