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Courgette pasta

A clever pasta-substitute recipe using courgettes or patty pan squash.

I’m quite partial to a big fat bowl of pasta. But just imagine that I wasn’t, or that for some reason I couldn’t eat pasta. There is another way to have pasta-style dishes without the pasta. And it involves courgettes, which at certain times of year is no bad thing.

courgette pasta with brussels sprouts and bacon

This recipe is superbly healthy (unless, of course, you think bacon a bad thing), and superbly tasty. I’ve made the portions to serve one person.

Ingredients

1 courgette or patty pan squash
3 rashers bacon, diced
6 Brussels sprouts, halved, with the toughest outer leaves removed
1 onion
A knob of butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons pesto
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated finely
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Dash of olive oil

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Directions

1. Using a mandolin slicer on the widest setting, slice the patty pan/courgette lengthways to create thick ribbons. Then, on a chopping board, cut these into thinner tagliatelle-style ribbons at least 1cm wide. Place on a baking rack and put in the oven at 200 for 10 minutes, or until very slightly browned at the very edges. Some courgette pasta recipes argue that you should boil the courgette strips, but I’ve tried both boiling and roasting, and the latter is far superior in terms of the texture and flavour that it produces. Boiled courgette just goes mushy.

courgette pasta

2. Slice the onion and throw into a pan with the butter and sugar, cooking until caramelised and tender. Add the bacon and cook for seven minutes.

3. In a separate pan, heat some olive oil, then throw in the Brussels sprouts, two chunks of the bacon, and fry until starting to brown and soften. Then pour in the balsamic vinegar. Enjoy the hissing sound and cook for another two minutes.

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4. Mix all the ingredients with the ‘pasta’, add the pesto and parmesan, and tuck in.

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