Alexandra Stafford returns to give us much-needed veggie advice.
If you’re a fan of fresh summer recipes, we have good news for you: We’ve rounded up a couple of dishes that harness all the vivid, sunny flavors of July. These gems come from Alexandra Stafford, whom you may recognize as a chef, author, blogger, and popular Instagrammer. If you’re just getting to know her, you’ll soon discover that her sophisticated recipes emphasize seasonal ingredients without being overly complicated or fussy. In fact, you may have already seen us proclaiming our love for her cold peanut noodles and quick and elegant blistered green beans. Both are delicious, flavorful, and involve minimal time hovering over a hot stove.
If you’re hungry for more, we’d like to recommend Stafford’s summer squash spaghetti. Using up to two pounds of zucchini or yellow squash, this recipe is perfect for anyone with an overly productive home garden, or who took home a few too many squashes from the farmer’s market. Aromatics compliment the mellow flavors of the squash: The red pepper flakes and garlic add some bite while the lemon zest contributes brightness. Salty, sumptuous Parmigiano Reggiano ties everything together.
If you’ve got an even wider variety of produce on your hands, you can also try Stafford’s veggie-loaded stuffed bell peppers. This recipe calls for zucchini, corn, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Filled with robust quinoa and delectable Monterey Jack cheese, this entree manages to strike a balance between light and hearty. Plus, it’s a mouthwatering main dish that’s also vegetarian.
Both of these recipes serve 4-6, and they’re also excellent candidates for advance meal prep, so they’re perfect for a mini dinner party. Once you whip them up, all you have to do is look around for some summer cocktail inspiration. (And we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t mention Stanley Tucci’s sage advice for a go-to happy hour refresher.)
Summer Squash Spaghetti with Lemon and Herbs
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. zucchini or yellow squash
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or less if you are sensitive to heat
- 1/2 lb. spaghetti or other long noodle
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- zest of one lemon
- 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil, optional
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Using a mandoline or turning slicer, cut the squash into long thin strips. Alternatively,
cut the squash with a knife as thinly as you are able. Place the sliced squash in a
colander in your sink.
Place the olive oil, shallots, and garlic in a large skillet. Season with a pinch of salt. Turn
the heat to high. As soon as you see the oil beginning to shimmer, give the shallots and
garlic a stir, cover the lid, and turn the heat to low. Cook for roughly 10 minutes, or until
the shallots and garlic are very soft.
When the pasta water boils, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Boil the pasta till al dente,
reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, uncover the lid of the pan with the shallots and garlic. Add the crushed red
pepper flakes and stir briefly.
Drain the pasta over the colander containing the squash, then transfer the pasta and
squash to the skillet. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and stir to combine. Season
with pepper. Add the Parmigiano. Toss. Taste. Season with kosher salt and pepper to
taste.
Remove from the heat and add the herbs and lemon zest. Toss again to combine. Taste.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Veggie-Loaded Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 6 large bell peppers, halved and cored, leaving the stems intact (if you wish)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
- kosher salt
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 hot chili, optional, finely minced
- kosher salt
- 1 or 2 zucchini, small diced, to yield about 2 cups
- 2 ears corn, kernels removed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 6 scallions, finely sliced
- 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped to yield about a cup
- 12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed
- basil or chives, chopped finely, for garnish, optional
- lemon for garnish, optional
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 475ºF convection roast. Place the peppers cut side down on a sheet
pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt. Transfer pan to the
oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the peppers begin to blister. Remove from
the oven. Turn peppers over. Set aside.
Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with water, and bring to a simmer. Add a big pinch of
kosher salt. Cook quinoa 9-12 minutes or until the quinoa is done. Drain through a fine-
mesh sieve. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When it
shimmers, add the diced onion and chili, immediately lower the heat to medium, season
with a pinch of salt, and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the
onion softens and begins turning translucent.
Add the diced zucchini and cook for 2 minutes, just until the zucchini loses its rawness —
you don’t want the zucchini to turn to mush; it’s nice when it has some texture here.
Add the corn and cook for a minute more. Turn off the heat. Add the tomatoes,
scallions, and cilantro.
Add the quinoa and stir to combine. Taste. Add salt and pepper until it tastes well-
seasoned. Fold in the cubed Monterey Jack.
Spoon filling into the cavities of the peppers. Don’t be afraid to really, really pack them
full — it’s OK if the filling is heaped in a mound in each pepper. These peppers are
meant to feel substantial. You may have a little extra filling on hand; it’s delicious on its
own. Save it for another day or eat it.
Transfer peppers to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes more until the cheese
begins melting and the vegetables begin browning.
Remove from oven. Garnish with fresh basil, if you wish. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, if you wish.
Alexandra Stafford lives in upstate New York with her husband and four children. Her cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs, was nominated for the 2017 IACP Julia Child First Book award. Alexandra’s food journey began in 2003 when she graduated from Yale and moved to Philadelphia, where she attended cooking school and worked in professional kitchens. After spending two years at Fork, first as a prep cook, ultimately as sous chef, she left the restaurant world and started her blog, Alexandra’s Kitchen.
