One of the things that gets Southerners through our infamously steamy summers is the abundance and almost endless variety of fresh produce that thrives in that moist heat. And while not all of it can be eaten right off the vine like a cucumber, melon, or tomato, it doesn't take much cooking to bring out the best in it.
One of my favorite ways to do that without having a kitchen meltdown is to cook the vegetables very simply and use them as a sauce for pasta. From artichokes to zucchini, if it grows in their gardens, Italian cooks have found a way to pair it with pasta. In Emilia-Romagna, their justly-famous velvety egg pasta, cut into long tagliatelle or fettuccine noodles, is frequently sauced with green peas or fava beans.
The idea is lovely with our native butterbeans (lima beans to some of you—but don't try to argue the point with a Southerner). Simply enhanced Read More