Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Linguine with zucchini, capers, lemon, pine nuts and herbs and a tribute to Sher

Linguine with zucchini, capers, lemon, pine nuts and herbs and a tribute to Sher

As many of you in the food blog world I was shocked with the news that our dear Sher had suddenly passed away.
A lovely woman who would brighten up everyone’s day with encouraging comments and kind words, Sher was a passionate foodie and shared many delicious recipes on her delightful blog. She was the queen of meatballs!

I only knew her virtually, but she’ll be missed and my heart goes out to her family and friends.

After reading Sara’s post, I felt like taking part in the beautiful tribute to Sher. This is the recipe I chose and it was delicious, just like everything else on her blog.

Linguine with zucchini, capers, lemon, pine nuts and herbs

1 lb. (450g) linguine
8 ounces (226g) small, firm green or golden zucchini
½ cup mixed fresh herbs: parsley, marjoram, basil, chervil, thyme, and others of your choice
1 lemon
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons pine nuts
4 shallots, roughly chopped
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed in water
2 sun dried tomatoes, cut into narrow strips - I omitted this
salt and freshly ground black pepper
grated parmesan, to serve

Slice the zucchini into pieces about the same thickness as the pasta you are using, then cut them into narrow matchsticks. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Using as many of the herbs of your choice that you want, pull the leaves off the stems and chop the herbs roughly. Grate the zest of the lemon and set aside (you’ll use the juice as well).

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small pan and add the pine nuts. Cook them until they begin to color, then add the shallots and cook over medium heat until the shallots are limp and the pine nuts have colored even more. Do not burn the pine nuts. When done, transfer this to a large bowl, along with the lemon grated zest, capers, tomatoes and herbs.

Add salt to the boiling water, drop in the zucchini and cook for 1 minute; Scoop the zucchini out, shake the water off and put it into the bowl with the pine nuts mixture. Then boil the pasta until al dente, drain and place in the bowl. Season with salt and pepper, the remaining olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Toss until the noodles are coated with the oil and herb mixture. Serve with the grated cheese, passed separately.

Serves 2-4

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sher lived in my town. Sadly I did not know her.

This is such a nice way to remember her.

Manggy said...

You guys regard her so dearly-- I wish I had known her. This is a lovely tribute, Patricia, it looks delicious :)

Sarah said...

What a nice tribute, Patricia.

Deborah said...

A great meal to honor Sher!

eatingclubvancouver_js said...

What a lovely dish and a lovely tribute.

Peabody said...

A great dish for Sher.

Peter M said...

Patricia, a most elegant, delicate and easy on the eye...a fitting tribute.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Ah yes, this is just the kind of dish I think of when I think of Sher. Lovely.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely and fitting tribute Patricia! :)

Dragon said...

A lovely tribute.

ChichaJo said...

Very nice tribute Patricia...I was very sad when I heard though I didn't know her that well...

Elle said...

Lovely tribute Patricia. Sher was such a wonderful blogger...she'd likely be pleased tath you made this dish.

kickpleat said...

a lovely tribute and a delicious looking dish.

Anonymous said...

She had wonderful taste in food, didn't she? This was an excellent choice -- light, fresh, and delicious. Perfect for summer here.

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

This is a lovely tribute. It is so nice to stumble across these, but sad at the same time.

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

This is a lovely tribute. It is so nice to stumble across these, but sad at the same time.

Jaime said...

looks like a great weeknight meal!

Emily said...

That's so sweet of you to take part in the tribute. I just read about Sher the other day.

This sounds like a wonderful meal - all flavors that I love.

KJ said...

A lovely tribute Patricia.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Cathy, she was such a sweet person.

Mark, she was a person everyone will always remember.
Thank you, my friend.

Sarah, thank you.

Deb, I'm glad you think so, darling.

Eating Club..., thank you.

Pea, thank you.

Pete, thank you, my friend.

Lydia, her pasta dishes and meatballs were amazing.

Lorraine, thank you, darling.

Dragon, thank you.

Joey, I know, we all felt sad, even those who didn't know her so well. She was one of us, after all.

Elle, she was wonderful, indeed. And very generous.

Kickpleat, thank you.

Julie, she did - it was so hard choosing something from her blog, I wanted to make everything.

Holler, I know, it's very sad, indeed.

Jaime, thank you.

Emiline, she was always so supportive, and left inspirational comments. She was a true caring person.

KJ, thank you.

LyB said...

Sher certainly seemed to have an eye for great recipes. This is beautiful Patricia.

Jeanne said...

What a beautiful way to rememebr. I love the colours of this pasta - so light and summery!

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