Slow cooked courgette and goat’s cheese pasta

A fresh summery pasta dish with courgettes as the star, alongside lemon, fresh mint and creamy goat’s cheese.

One of my favourite ways to use courgettes is to thinly sliced them and slow cook until soft and collapsed and use in pasta.

It’s also a great way to use up a few at time if you’ve got a glut - there’s always loads around in summer.

You only need to add a couple of other ingredients and you’ve got a really tasty dinner. Garlic is always a winner with courgette, be generous, I like to use a lot. Lemon is another tasty addition, both the zest and the juice, and of course, cheese of some sort - in this recipe I’ve gone for soft goat’s cheese.

This is fresh, creamy, zesty and makes a tasty and comforting vegetarian lunch or dinner.

You’ll need (serves 2):

• 3-4 courgettes, sliced thinly, about 2-3mm (use a mandolin if you have one)

• Olive oil

• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• Zest of a small lemon

• 150-200g of pasta, depending on appetite

• 100g soft goat’s cheese

• Small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped or torn

Gently fry the courgettes in olive oil in a large frying, stirring regularly, until soft and collapsed. This will take 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the garlic and lemon zest and return to the heat and then get your pasta on to cook according to the packet instructions.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the pasta water and add it to the courgette pan. Add in the goat’s cheese, the mint and a little of the pasta water, and then mix until well combined. Add more pasta water if you want to loosen it. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Dig in.