Summer courgette, fresh tomato & garlic speedy dinner

​I love to see Irish courgettes, garlic and Italian sun-ripened organic tomatoes in the market and the Co-op at this time of year. I love them cooked quickly in olive oil and served with giant couscous, spaghetti or as vegetable course with fish, meat or halloumi.    Indeed this is a most adaptable dish and can take the addition of feta or shrimp added near the end of cooking to add protein to the dish.  Another bonus for this dish is that from start to serve can be done in about 30- 40 minutes.   In addition, it can be served hot or cold (but if refrigerated, remember to take it out of the fridge an hour before serving so that it is a room temperature).

Ingredients
Serves 3-4

• 2-3 medium courgettes - sliced lengthwise and then again to create 4 lengths and chopped into 1 cm dice
• 5 ripe tomatoes – plum if possible – they have so much more substance and less water in them - chopped roughly
• 3 plumb cloves of fresh new season garlic - sliced finely or chopped
• A good dollop of olive oil for cooking and another for the pasta/ couscous
• A handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley
• A handful of finely torn fresh basil leaves
• 250 grams of giant couscous or Italian fregola pasta or spaghetti
• Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat a deep pan with olive oil and add the chopped courgettes
2. Put on a 3-4 litres of water to boil for the pasta
3. Keep an eye on the courgettes and keep stirring so that they don’t stick – maintain the heat at medium
4. When the courgettes are beginning to soften add the chopped garlic and keep stirring – do not allow the garlic to stick or burn, which new season garlic tends to do
5. After a minute or two add the chopped tomatoes, raise the heat a little and stir regularly
6. At this stage the water should be boiling for the pasta – add a 2 teaspoons of cooking salt and throw in the pasta and cook according to instructions
7. As the tomatoes begin to break down with the courgettes, check that nothing is sticking, if so add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water and continue cooking briskly
8. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it (keeping a half cup of pasta water aside if necessary to loosen the courgette and tomato sauce)
9. Stir in a tablespoon of  good olive oil to the pasta and then  add the chopped parsley and basil, black pepper and salt if necessary – Keep warm
10. Check the courgettes to see they are cooked and season.  
11. SERVE with the pasta and Enjoy!!

 

• At  stage 7 you could add a packet of defrosted prawns and stir t through to heat OR  Add a 100 grams of roughly chopped feta and serve.

The fresh flavours of the vegetables, garlic and herbs is delightful on a chilly OR warm summer’s evening.

Katie Verling