Another great way of using up those courgettes. This is Stanley Tucci's favourite pasta dish - I'm not sure how that'd relevant, but I thought I'd mention it.
I said it in the stuffed courgette flowers recipe - If you or someone you know grow your own courgettes, one thing you won't be short of is courgettes! They grow a storm. This is usually a recipe for spaghetti, but...
I love bucatini
I had bucatini!
This tastes great - but it levitates to absolutely fantastic when you fry the courgettes the day before
INGREDIENTS
courgettes - more than you think you'll need I used two (well, one courgette and half a giant one)
garlic
basil
2 tbsp butter
175g (roughly)Provolone cheese - but you can substitute that with Manchego, or an aged Gouda - something with a bit of bite to it
50g Parmesan
bucatini - or whatever takes your fancy
Watch the video
METHOD
The day before - slice/mandoline the courgettes into the thickness of a really thick coin. Or two coins. Or a casino chip
Heat vegetable or sunflower oil in a pan - enough to cover the slices. I've tried roasting, shallow frying or just doing them on the day; I tells ya, deep frying the day before has a profound effect on the tased and texture
Pop the slices in the oil in batches - too many and the temperature will drop.
Fry them for about 1 minute, then transfer to paper or a cloth to drain
Put them in a bowl or pot or tupperware, cover them and put them in the fridge till tomorrow...
TOMORROW
Pop a bit of olive oil in a pan
Add the garlic, and shove it around a bit until there's a little bit of colour in it - don't let it burn; it'll make the oil quite bitter. Taste-wise. Although possibly emotionally too; I'd be bitter if someone burned garlic on me.
Remove the garlic and add the courgettes
Salt them
Stir them around and cook them down for 5 minutes or so
Add the butter
Stir it around and continue cooking till you have a semi purée
MEANWHILE...
Boil some water in a pot and add the pasta
We've had this conversation many times - turn the het down, you don't need 100ºC boiling water to cook pasta. 80º-90º will do nicely. Save energy, cut costs and it's nicer to the pasta
When the courgettes are gloopy (technical term - honest...) tear the basil leaves into the pan and stir them through
Whatever time your pasta needs to cook, add it to the courgettes with about 2 minutes to go
Don't drain the pasta, just lift it out with a basket or tongs
Mix it through gently, and add a couple of ladles of the pasta water
Add the grated Provolone and mix it through - it will get quite creamy
Remove from the heat and add the grated Parmesan - or Pecorino if you prefer
Mix it through and serve it up