Hello! Adding on to the Mixed-Veg Pesto, here’s another one of my go-to pasta dishes I used to make when I was in Uni (and when it was vegetarian day). It’s basically pasta in your very basic tomato sauce and grilled veg. How simple is that? I love courgettes, hence the title, but you can always change it up with whatever you fancy, like charred kale, grilled aubergines etc. Get creative! This one takes a little bit more time than the previous recipe but trust me, it’ll be good. This is also one of those recipes where you can always keep the leftover sauce you have and use if for another day, either for the same recipe or as a base to others! 

Ingredients:

Basic Marinara Sauce

• Canned tomatoes 500 g
• Cherry tomatoes 500 g Halved
• Garlic 3 – 5 cloves Crushed
• Basil 1 bunch (Usually 25 g)
• Dried oregano To taste
• Salt To taste
• Pepper To taste
• Sugar To taste (but only if needed!)

Sauté Courgettes 

• Courgettes 2 Cut into cubes
• Garlic 2 cloves Minced
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Begin by making the marinara sauce. In a large pot heated to a medium heat, sauted the garlic with a generous a mount of extra virgin olive oil until the sides turn slightly brown.
2. Add in the cut cherry tomatoes and saute them until they blister and start to reduce in size. 
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and give everything a mix. 
4. Throw in the basil and bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to simmer. Leave for about 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until the mixture has thickened slightly and become saucy. (You’ll know when you’re there if you take some of the sauce in a spoon and blow on it, if there is some resistance, you’re good!)
5. Whilst waiting for the sauce to thicken up, cut your courgettes into cubes.
6. Then sprinkle your courgettes with salt and with your hand(s), rub the salt into the courgettes, making sure every side is coated. Place courgettes on a paper towel and leave for 15 minutes.
7. After 15 minutes you’ll notice some water come out of the courgettes. Use a clean paper towel and dab off the extra salt and transfer to a clean plate/container. Now get back to your sauce!
8. Remove the lid and and season the mix with oregano, salt and pepper. (Only if you find the mixture to be too acidic/sour, then add in a little bit of sugar to counter this! Otherwise you wouldn’t need to at all)
9. When you’re happy with the seasoning, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
10. To put everything together, start but boiling your pasta as per the packet instructions. 
11. Then head some olive oil in a skillet and saute the garlic till they just start to turn brown. 
12. Add in your courgettes and continue to saute for about 5 – 10 minutes until they’re cooked through. 
13. Whilst the courgettes are cooking, add about a ladle of sauce per serving into a sauce pan and re-heat gently. 
14. When the pasta is done, transfer the pasta sauce pan with the tomato sauce and mix well. Cook for about a minute and then remove from the pan and serve.
15. By now your courgettes should be done. Check the seasoning, you might not need salt at all because you ‘cured’ them before, but in some cases you might need a little. Be very careful. A little goes a long way.
16. Serve the courgettes alongside the pasta and grate over some parmesan cheese. I add some chopped up parsley or a gremolata sometimes but this is totally up to you! 
17. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks:

The reason you’re salting your courgettes before frying them is to remove all the excess moisture in them. They’re very watery veggies and so if you don’t you may end up with soggy courgettes. You don’t want them. On top of removing the excess liquid, salting also helps take out some of the bitterness you may find in courgettes and it also allows the courgettes too crisp up easier in the pan. 

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