Chilli Courgette Rigatoni

This is a really quick dish to make, so it's perfect for a mid-week dinner - you can make the sauce in the ten minutes it takes for the pasta to cook. Buttery, garlicky courgettes combine with the zing of chilli & the crunch of pine nuts to make a delicious dressing that tastes like much more effort was involved.

Ingredients

280g rigatoni
1 large courgette
2 fat garlic cloves
A small handful of fresh basil
A pinch of lemon zest
1 tsp fresh chopped chilli
2 tablespoonfuls of pine nuts
Butter
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan or cheddar, to serve

Serves 2

First of all, put your pasta on to boil with a good pinch of salt. Heat a generous scoop of butter & a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and add the garlic, finely chopped, allowing it to sizzle gently for a moment so that you get a lovely aroma rising from the pan.

In the meantime, slice the courgette and dice into small chunks, roughly chop the basil, and add those to the pan with a pinch of lemon zest and the fresh chilli (my version of this dish was quite fiery, as I thought it balanced the richness of the dish nicely, but feel free to use less chilli if you like). Leave the courgettes to soften over a medium heat, stirring regularly and adding another splash of oil if necessary.


When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pan. Add another scoop of butter to the frying pan with the courgettes, allow to melt, and then pour over the pasta and stir through. Season with plenty of black pepper and sprinkle over a handful of pine nuts, and serve with your choice of cheese on top. Delicious!