COURGETTE PAPPARDELLE WITH LEMON, FETA & PINE NUTS

I absolutely adored this super light, yet flavourful and summery pasta dish!

Feta works a treat when slowly melted into a creamy sauce alongside some chopped up courgette and vegetable stock, while the mix of pappardelle pasta and courgette ribbons adds a wonderful crunch and vibrant colour to the final dish. 

Add some pine nuts, pan fried in some butter, and you get yourself an imaginative, vegetarian friendly pasta supper that takes less than 30 minutes to make!

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUCE 

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 3 tbsp oregano leaves
• 3 large green courgettes, cut lengthways into quarters, then finely sliced 
• Salt and black pepper
• 150g feta, broken up into rough chunks
• 100ml vegetable stock

FOR THE PASTA AND COURGETTE RIBBONS

• 30g unsalted butter
• 80g pine nuts, roughly crushed
• 2 courgettes (ideally 1 yellow and 1 green)
• 300g pappardelle egg pasta
• Finely shaved zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 25g basil leaves, roughly torn

METHOD

• Start with the sauce. 
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan on a medium-high heat, then fry the garlic and oregano for one to two minutes, until the garlic just to starts to brown. 
• Add the sliced courgettes, three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper, and fry for five minutes, stirring frequently. 
• Add the feta and stock, bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and leave to cook for 25 minutes, until the courgettes are soft, the feta has melted and the sauce is creamy. Turn off the heat and cover the pan.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium-high heat. 
• Once the butter starts to spit, add the pine nuts and fry, stirring, for a minute, until they turn golden-brown, then spoon the nuts into a small bowl, to stop them cooking any more.
• Peel the yellow and green courgettes into long, thin strips (ideally, using a mandoline or potato peeler).
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, then cook the pappardelle until al dente, stirring the courgette ribbons into the pasta water only a few seconds before the pasta is done. 
• Drain, then return the pasta and courgette ribbons to the pan and stir in the sauce, lemon zest and juice, basil and a generous grind of black pepper. 
• Divide between bowls, spoon over the reserved pine nuts and serve hot.