Pasta:
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes cored and roughly chopped
- 2 red bell peppers trimmed and seeded and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons chili oil more or less to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 shallots peeled and sliced into wedges
- 2 teaspoons hot honey
- 16 ounces linguine 1/4 cup pasta water reserved
- 8 ounces burrata divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
Squash blossoms:
- 12 squash blossoms
- 1 cup flour
- 1 ½ cups cold tonic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes such as Aleppo pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying
Prepare the batter:
As the tomatoes marinate, prepare the batter. Combine the flour, cold tonic, salt, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Simmer the tomatoes:
Pour in the chili oil tomatoes and bring to a boil. Taste and add a touch more salt and pepper if needed. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes until reduced and very thick. Add more water as necessary if the liquid evaporates too quickly or if the sauce sticks.
Cook the pasta:
During the last 20 minutes of the sauce simmering, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the linguine. Cook until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining the pasta and setting it aside. (Note: Try to time this so that you are draining the pasta as soon as the squash blossoms finish frying).
Fry the squash blossoms:
As the pasta cooks, prepare the squash blossoms. Heat 1.5’’ vegetable oil in a large pot to 350ºF. Dip the squash blossoms in the batter, one by one (don’t try to batter them all at once) and then drop them into the hot oil. Fry the blossoms in batches for 2 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 461mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin C: 94mg