I SAY COURGETTE, YOU SAY ZUCCHINI...

I won't keep you as I don't seem to have moved very far from where I was when last we spoke. But I still have a zucchini courgette in my fridge and it's time is nearly up. The last recipe was the raw zucchini courgette salad and keeping in mind that they should never be cooked to a mushy pulp here is the cooked-in-butter-just-until-they-are-tender-and-golden-brown recipe.

The recipe is adapted from Gregg Wallace's The Greengrocer's Cookbook which I borrowed from the library some time ago. I love this book as it gives a few facts about each vegetable covered and tips on how to pick the freshest produce (and just how long you have to cook them before they begin mouldering in the back of your fridge or vegetable rack). But I've just received the "we break legs" notice from the library (those librarians are not as quiet as they seem) so it's going back soonish. The photo is taken from the last time I made it and I'm making more tonight (with aforementioned zucchini courgette). It's simple but packed with flavour, soothing yet fresh at the same time. I use wholewheat spaghetti not because I'm an old hippy (not in public at least) but because I like it's nuttiness with the buttery juices of the sauce. Whatever you call it in your part of the world it tastes good. Want to call it off? All the more for me then.

COURGETTE SAUCE FOR PASTA

• 50g butter
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 kg courgettes, finely sliced
• salt and black pepper
• large handful of spaghetti (500g should cover 4 people)
• 6 tbsp creme fraiche
• 50g Parmesan, freshly grated, plus extra to serve

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, courgettes and seasoning. Cook gently for 20 minutes.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, salt generously and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Drain well in a colander.
3. Add the creme fraiche and Parmesan to the courgettes in the pan and cook for a minute or so, stirring well.
4. Mix the sauce into the pasta and serve sprinkled with Parmesan.

Serves 4 as long as no one falls out over names.

Comments

[Baking Soda]

We say courgette and I say Yum!

[Tartelette]

I say courgette, he says zucchini
but in the end he can't resist when I say "dinner's ready"!
Looks very comforting for the end of summer.

[Grainne]

well tested this recipe out last night and it was delish. I think you could probably use the same sauce with seafood too.