Lemon juice makes a pasta dish to pucker up for

Lemons are an essential cooking ingredient, next to onions and carrots. But how often do we dismiss them as just another garnish? During the harvest, the lonely lemon often takes a back burner to seasonal produce. Here, lemon shines as the main component in a simple, light pasta with ingredients that are still in season on the first days of fall -- zucchini, summer squash, and mint.

This dish (above) is based on Sicilian flavors, which employ more sweet and sour tastes than do the cuisines of other parts of Italy. The addition of honey to the sauce nicely juxtaposes with the lemon juice. Lemons abound in Sicily, along with zucchini, which are often fried, seasoned with vinegar, and topped with mint. The blend of ingredients makes an especially refreshing dish.