Jammy Squash Pasta

I am beyond thrilled that my garden has summer squash producing. In the last two days I have made a Rye Zucchini Bread (which is delicious with basil and mint), a Shakshuka with jammy yellow squash, feta and eggs, and a zucchini quick pickle that we eat over toast with goat cheese. But my absolute favorite way to eat summer squash is to cook them down with shallots or garlic in a good amount of olive oil until they are soft and jammy. From there, we mix the jammy squash in with pasta (inspired by Chris Morocco), eat over grilled bread (inspired by this recipe that I have been making for years), serve over hummus, mixed in with yogurt for a savory dip/spread, and eat by the spoonful.

Summer eating, the absolute best.

Jammy Squash Pasta

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup olive oil or butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 pounds summer squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced
Pinch of chili flakes (optional)
Kosher salt and pepper
12 ounces pasta
1/2 cup grated parmesan plus more for serving
Handful of fresh basil leaves 
1/2 lemon, juiced

STEPS
In a deep skillet, warm olive oil and sauté the shallots over medium heat, until just beginning to soften. Add the squash, chili flakes, season with salt, and mix everything together and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash has softened and become jammy. 

In the mean time, cook you favorite pasta shape in boiling salted water until al dente. 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to the skillet and toss everything together. If you need it to be saucier, add a 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. In stages, begin adding parmesan while you continue to toss the pasta and jammy squash, creating a nice sauce that coats the pasta. 

Remove pan from the heat, add in the basil and the juice from a lemon half. Toss, add more basil and fresh parmesan for serving.