Courgette Ribbon Tagliatelle

If you’re anything like us you’ll have been longing for a glimpse of summer ever since Christmas – as far as we’re concerned, winter can get lost already and make way for some warmth! While this pasta dish can’t quite transport you forward in time 6 months (still working on that one), it is full of the taste of summer and will leave you feeling fresh and with a smile on your face! It’s another of our super-quick specialities, it will take no longer to cook than the pasta.

For 2 people, you’ll need:

• About 180g of tagliatelle
• 2 courgettes
• 1 lemon
• 3-4 mint leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped basil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Start by putting your pasta on to cook in a large pan of salted water – a couple of large pinches of salt ought to be enough. While it is cooking, slice your courgette into thin ribbons – its easiest if you use a potato peeler for this bit. Chop the herbs while this is happening, and put to one side.

When the pasta is cooked but before you drain it, throw the courgette ribbons into the same pan. Leave them in for just long enough to be stirred in with the rest of the pasta, and then drain it all. Put back in the pan you used to cook them, and add the herbs, half of the lemon juice, a good pinch of salt and a grind of pepper, and the extra virgin olive oil. Mix it all together and serve! Garnish with some lovely photogenic basil leaves, if you have any lying around, and serve up the rest of the lemon just in case anyone wants an extra squeeze…

That couldn’t have been easier could it? We eat meals like this all the time in the summer – really simple, fresh pasta dishes that are comforting and yet leave you feeling rather virtuous… And in the winter they make a lovely change from soups and stews!