Thursday, July 28, 2016

Pasta with Courgettes

It's Potluck week at I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC). For this week, we get to select any of IHCC's past and present featured chefs' recipes. I have chosen to cook with Nigella this week. 

Taken from her book Nigellissima, Pasta with Courgette is a very tasty, meatless, pasta dish. Main star character is the courgettes or zucchini. Nigella has used casarecce pasta, but I've used farfalle instead, as I already have a pack in my pantry.



The courgettes are cooked till soft and almost mushy. Instead of using garlic oil, I have added two cloves of chopped garlic, sauteed in olive oil till light brown and fragrant, then add in the spring onions and diced courgettes. White wine is then added in, cover and simmer until the courgettes are very tender.  I have omitted the parsley since I have forgotten to buy them. 

A simple and tasty pasta dish. But I would add more zucchini the next time, as they are quite delicious, when cooked to a "squashy khaki", as Nigella says!


Pasta with Courgettes
(adapted from "Nigellissima", by Nigella Lawson)
Serves 2
200gm casarecce pasta
salt for pasta water, to taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped (my addition)
2x15ml tablespoons garlic oil
4 spring onions, finely sliced
500gm courgettes, finely diced
60ml dry white wine or vermouth
small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3x15ml tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more (optional) for sprinkling
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons (10gm) unsalted butter

Put a pan of water on for the pasta, salting generously (or to taste) when it comes to the boil, then add the casarecce - cooking as per packet instructions, though tasting a couple of minutes before they're meant to be ready - and get on with the sauce.
Put the garlic oil and chopped spring onions in a heavy-based pan (that comes with a lid) on medium heat and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the diced courgettes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every now and again,
Add the wine or vermouth, letting it bubble up, followed by 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley, salt to taste, then lower the heat, cover with the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes, by which time the courgettes should be gorgeously tender.
Before draining the pasta, remove a cupful of starchy cooking water.
Tip the drained pasta back into its pan, add the braised courgettes, or add the pasta to the pan of courgettes, along with 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan and 4 tablespoons of pasta-cooking liquid. Combine thoroughly and taste to see if you wish to add more cheese or salt or pepper or; indeed, cooking liquid, then stir in the butter and most of the remaining parsley and divide between 2 warmed bowls, sprinkling with the rest of the parsley, and more Parmesan if wished, on serving.


I'm linking this post with I Heart Cooking Clubs (IHCC), theme for this week, July Potluck!





8 comments:

  1. I am liking the squashy khaki approach. I have to try my hand on that next time!

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  2. Zucchini is fun in pasta! I like Nigella's "squashy khaki" description too. ;-) This looks really tasty and perfect for summer.

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  3. I used bow tie pasta this week too 😉 Great meatless meal and a good way to use up my surplus of zucchini.

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  4. I made a version of this from one of Tessa Kiros' books and even my kids liked it! I think hiding veggies in pasta is a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies. I love this. Great way to use up all those courgettes and such a tasty light meal.

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  5. I love the English word courgette, it's so much nicer than zucchini. And the combination of courgette and pasta is great. I already tried it in a similar combination.

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  6. I made a Nigella pasta dish this week also...she definitely has a way them. Zucchini with pasta is perfect at this time of year but much as I like the description of "squashy khaki", I prefer my zucchini al dente like the pasta (as I discovered from one of my Food of Spain Cookbook Countdown dishes!)

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  7. What a great and visible description by Nigella. Looks tassty.

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