Stuffed Pattypans with Crispy Scapes

You may think of it as rather silly to call produce cute, but I have to say that pattypan squash have to be one of the cutest!  They look like little sunbursts (well at least the yellow ones), and have to be one of the most interesting looking summer veggies!  They are delicious as well, tender and sweet when simply roasted.  I had bought some, and I was thinking it would be a nice small plate to stuff some and roast them!  So, I decided on a simple pine nut and pecorino romano filling with a bit of panko and egg as a binder, and a bit of garlic and basil for flavor.  Really quite simple but rather good when all was said and done...eaten!  I decided to place some roasted garlic scapes on the plate as well, for a contrast in texture, and because they are just so delicious! A bit of basil oil was used to finish, and was a nice addition for color as well as flavor.  The stuffed squash were just as cute as their pre-stuffed counterparts...almost too cute to eat, but who am I kidding, I dug right in!  If you come across some pattypans, try this recipe out!  It is rather simple, but beautiful and tasty! 

Stuffed Pattypans with Crispy Scapes

Serves 4

8 small pattypan squash

1/2 cup pecorino romano, shredded

1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt
pepper
1 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
olive oil
16 garlic scapes
sea salt
basil oil

To prepare squash, slice off tops with stems, and scoop out flesh, using a spoon, leaving about a half inch flesh on sides and bottom. Reserve half flesh, and finely chop, then place in a large bowl.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add squash shells, cooking for just a few minutes until slightly softened, then remove from water and pat dry.  Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray.  Add pecorino, pine nuts, panko, and egg to the bowl, along with about 1/2 tsp sea salt, a few good grinds of freshly ground pepper, and basil.  Mix well, and spoon the mixture into each of the squash shells.  Place shells on baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the squash is tender and the filling is heated through.  You may need to cover with foil, if filling is browning too quickly.  Meanwhile, while the squash is roasting, toss garlic scapes with a little olive oil, and spread out onto a lined baking sheet.  Roast until starting to crisp and brown, and remove from oven.  When squash is done, to plate, place 2 squash on each of 4 plates, drizzle with basil oil, and top with scapes.