There are few things I love more than eating pasta, and in an attempt to convince myself that I can do so healthily, we’re going green (sort of). An easy weeknight meal with minimal prep, this creamy courgette pasta can be thrown together in no time. Not to mention, a simple list of ingredients makes this recipe ideal for a group setting, and at a good price!
Ingredients
3 courgettes
2 onions or 4 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
Parmesan
Ricotta
Spaghetti (about 90g per person, one packet works for four!)
Fennel seeds
A lemon
Method
Firstly, chop up your courgettes — don’t worry too much about accuracy, having some different thicknesses can make for a nice texture. Next, add some olive oil to a frying pan (enough to just about cover the base) and cook the courgettes on a medium heat. Once they’ve cooked through, place to the side to add back in later.
While your courgettes are cooking, you can get the rest of the prep done. Dice your onions or shallots and finely slice your garlic. I’ve found that sliced garlic works much better than a finer chop, and it adds a bit of bite to your sauce. In the same pan, sauté the onions on a medium heat (with a bit of salt) and add your garlic a bit later on, it takes much less time to cook. Once you’ve done this, add your fennel seeds.
At this point, deglaze the pan with some white wine, or even water. Let that reduce before adding your courgette back in. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to the boil before adding your spaghetti and cooking for ten minutes. This might depend on the cooker / how you like your pasta, so it’s best to keep trying it as you go (or so I’ve told myself).
Once your onion and garlic mix is starting to look nice and jammy (i.e. liquid all reduced), add the courgette back in. At this point, some of the thinner slices of garlic will get a bit mushy, which is what you want! Take a ladle of the pasta water (nice and starchy!) and add this to your sauce, it’ll help the pasta stick together.
Drain your spaghetti and add to the sauce (I’d recommend in the pot). Next, grate some parmesan and roughly chop some basil, then mix them both into your pasta, which will make it nice and creamy. You then grate the zest of a lemon and squeeze its juice in, too.
All that’s left to do is serve — a healthy dollop of ricotta goes on top, and some toasted pine nuts if you’re feeling super fancy. Enjoy with a few friends, and maybe even a glass of that wine from earlier — I can attest that it’s a good combo.
Image provided by Hugh Shilson for The Student