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Thursday, 24 May 2012

Courgette and Butter Pasta

We put this meal together one quiet Monday evening.  We were exhausted and couldn't be bothered to cook anything which required more effort than walking down the road for a Vietnamese.
Inspired by a vague memory of a River Café recipe printed years ago in the Guardian, the limited contents of our fridge led us to this dinner.  The courgette, cooked slowly in butter and its own juices, becomes so soft and creamy that there is no need for a sauce.
 
This meal is surprisingly satisfying for how simple it is and has a decidedly lower cost than the aforementioned alternative.
 
Fed 2: 43p per person.




Ingredients:
1 courgette 40p
Half packet of farfelle 45p
Total: 90p


Store cupboard:
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
30g butter
Parmesan


- Halve the courgette and slice fairly thinly, about 1cm thick.


- Gently fry the garlic in olive oil until soft and then add the courgette. 


- Season the courgette with salt, stirring until the courgette slices begin to soften.


 - Add half of the butter to the courgette, stir in and reduce the heat.


- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water.


- Continue stirring the courgette slices for another 10-15 minutes while the pasta is cooking.  They should be really soft and starting to collapse.  Add a little of the pasta water if they start to become dry or stuck to the pan.


- Stir in the rest of the butter and remove from the heat.


- Drain the pasta and tip into the courgette and butter sauce.  Toss well to coat.


- Serve in bowls, topped with black pepper and plenty of parmesan.

Grana Padana and Pecorino are good alternatives to Parmesan and are often a bit cheaper too.

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