Zucchini and Corn Arrabbiata with Burrata

it’s vegetarian and gluten-free without even trying. stop trying so hard.

Chapter 63

There are 1,073 different meals out there involving corn, zucchini, and tomatoes, for good reason. You’re not reinventing the wheel here. What’s good is good.

At some point, people stopped eating pasta and started trying to make other things into pasta. Vegetables are neither noodles nor pasta. You don’t have to call them pasta to make it seem more appealing. Eliminating gluten and meat from your diet can be great and is 100% up to you, but why bother trying to make meat-like or gluten-like foods when there are so many vegetable, legume, and grain options that have never wanted to be meat or bread or pasta. Why try to make something gluten-free pretend to be something glutenous? Leave it alone! You’re going to give it a complex.

Julienne two zucchinis or run them through a food processor or mandolin, sprinkle them with salt, and let that sit for a good while in a colander or strainer. This forces out a lot of the liquids that would, otherwise, be released in cooking and keeps the finished product from turning into soup. Let it strain and then wrap it in a clean towel or cheesecloth and give it a good squeeze. It’s not pasta. It’s just zucchini cut a certain way and it’s delicious. Alternately, just chop some zucchini and call it a day.

There is no better time than summer for fresh corn. Grab a cob or two and carefully cut the corn from the cob.

Arrabiata is probably one of the easiest sauces to make quickly at home. It’s just tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flake simmered together. You can also add onions. Some people add wine because wine is great. Some people add herbs because herbs are great. Either way, it’s an easy sauce to simmer together with little effort or forethought. You can use canned tomatoes or the surplus gathered from summer tomato plants. Make as much as you like. If you make too much, freeze it.

In a pan, heat up some oil and butter. Add your fresh corn along with salt and pepper and cook until it starts to pop a little (if you’re just using chopped zucchini, add it with the corn). Toss in some fresh garlic, if you are into that, and cook until fragrant. Now, add your drained zucchini and toss occasionally, salting to taste. This goes fairly fast because zucchini doesn’t need much.

Divide the contents of the pan, top with arrabbiata, and make it truly decadent with a ball of burrata, if you can get it, or a dollop of ricotta.

Eat what you like, what is fresh, and what brings you joy. You don’t have to eat meat or gluten in order to eat good food. You don’t have to spend any extra energy or money on things that try to replace them when there are a lot of foods out there that are good enough, just the way they are.