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Zingy courgette and basil pasta


Serves: 2
timePrep time: 15 mins
timeTotal time:
Zingy courgette and basil pasta
Recipe photograph by Tara Fisher

Zingy courgette and basil pasta

Ripe avocado makes a lusciously creamy sauce for pasta in this speedy midweek meal - on the table in 15 minutes

Serves: 2
timePrep time: 15 mins
timeTotal time:

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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
541Kcal
Fat
25gr
Saturates
6gr
Carbs
57gr
Sugars
6gr
Fibre
8gr
Protein
19gr
Salt
0.6gr

Tamsin Burnett-Hall

Tamsin Burnett-Hall

Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes
Tamsin Burnett-Hall

Tamsin Burnett-Hall

Tamsin learned the tricks of the trade from cookery legend Delia Smith. A trusted recipe writer for the magazine for over 25 years, she is now our Senior Food Producer, overseeing testing and editing to ensure that every recipe tastes great, is straightforward to follow and works without fail. In her home kitchen, Tamsin creates fuss-free flavour-packed food for friends and family, with baking being her ultimate form of comfort cooking
See more of Tamsin Burnett-Hall’s recipes

Ingredients

  • 150g dried conchiglie, or other pasta shape
  • 2 medium courgettes (about 450g)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ x 30g pack fresh basil
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 25g freshly grated Parmesan or vegetarian alternative

Step by step

  1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes until al dente.
  2. Meanwhile, trim the courgettes, halve them lengthwise and cut into roughly 1cm thick half-moons. Heat the oil in another saucepan, add the courgettes, garlic and some seasoning and cook over a fairly high heat, covered but stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Finely slice the basil leaves, add half to the courgettes and remove from the heat.
  3. Scoop the avocado flesh into a bowl and add the lemon zest and juice, 15g of the Parmesan and most of the remaining shredded basil. Blitz to a purée using a hand blender (or mash using a fork) and season generously.
  4. Drain the pasta, reserving half a mugful of the cooking water. Return to the pan and mix in the avocado sauce and the courgettes, adding some of the pasta water if needed to give a creamy coating-consistency sauce. Divide between warm bowls and scatter with the reserved basil and the rest of the Parmesan.
    Tip
    Bulk it up:
    Missing the meat? Curmble in some crispy bacon to serve.

    Make it vegan:
    Use dairy-free Parmesan-style cheese.

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