Courgette Pasta with Lemon, Chilli and Garlic

Ingredients

• 3-4 courgettes
• 400 g spaghetti pasta (or pasta of choice)
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 large bunch of basil
• olive oil, 3-4 tablespoons and a drizzle to finish

Method

Put a large pan of salty water on a high heat for the pasta, then start prepping the courgettes.

Slice the courgettes into thin, even rounds (not too thin, or they will fall apart in the sauce) and finely dice the garlic.

To a large frying pan, add a generous glug of olive oil (about 3-4 tablespoons) and, when it’s warm, add the diced garlic. Keep an eye on the garlic as it will cook fast – it only needs a minute or two on a medium heat. Keep moving it about as it sizzles away, without letting it colour too much or burn. After a couple of minutes, add a generous pinch of chilli flakes and a small pinch of salt and allow to sizzle for a further minute. Then tip in the sliced courgettes, stir well and season again.

Once the pasta water is at a rolling boil, add the dried spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions, minus a couple of minutes of cooking time so the pasta is al dente, or slightly undercooked.

Keep the courgettes cooking slowly in the garlic oil while the pasta cooks.

Once the pasta is nearly done, add the thyme and oregano to the courgettes, followed by the cooked al dente pasta straight from the saucepan, bringing with it lots of pasta water.

Finish cooking the pasta in the courgette frying pan, adding a big squeeze of lemon juice and the finely chopped basil. Add more of the pasta cooking water if the pasta becomes a little dry or tight – you want a super smooth saucy finished dish.

Serve the pasta with extra chilli flakes, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and optional vegan parmesan.