Summer zest

PASTA WITH ROASTED COURGETTES, LEMON, PARMESAN AND HERBS

Here’s a lightening quick recipe for the long summer nights. Because, yes, I’ll admit it, sometimes there’s more fun to be had outside the kitchen than within.

The exquisite CB rustled this up for lunch when I was passing through London a few weeks back and graciously shared the recipe. I’ve since made it a few times, including for my father who claims not to like pasta, and is addicted to meat. It passed muster.

Make sure to use lovely seasonal courgettes, you won’t get the same results with a greenhouse crop. I like using yellow and green at once, for prettiness. Good quality tagliatelle goes without saying. Fresh Parmesan, herbs and a zesty lemon is then all you need to throw together and gobble.

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Pasta with roasted courgettes, lemon, Parmesan and herbs

Takes 15 minutes, serves 4

summer / autumn / main / easy peasy / ready in a jiffy / nothing fancy / date night / on a budget / vegetarian

* Courgettes - 6

* Olive oil - a couple of drizzles

* Tagliatelle - 600g

* Lemon - 1

* Fresh mint and/or basil - a handful

* Parmesan - 200g

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.

Cut the courgettes longways into 8. Lay out on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season generously. Bake in the oven for ten minutes, until starting to colour.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.

Zest the lemon, chop the herbs and grate the Parmesan.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. When al dente, strain the pasta, conserving some of the cooking water.

Return the pasta to the pan. Add a splash of the cooking water, a glug of olive oil, plenty of black pepper, the herbs, cheese and zest. Mix thoroughly.

Serve immediately, laying the courgettes on top of each serving of pasta. Top with extra Parmesan.

For an optional extra touch: add a garnish of pan fried chopped sage and pine nuts.