Dinner with Rukmini
Browse all of the recipes in Rukmini Iyer’s cookbooks by ingredient.
Linguine With Courgettes, Pine Nuts and Chilli
This simple pasta dish from Rukmini Iyer might just be the perfect summery midweek meal. Seasonal courgettes break down in olive oil to create a delicious sauce for the linguine, and it all comes together in just 25 minutes.
From the book
The Green Cookbook
A new set of fuss-free recipes from the author of the Roasting Tin series
Featuring 75 meat-free recipes packed with flavour
Including plenty of one-tin recipes for fans of the Roasting Tin method
Buy From
Introduction
This is one of my favourite courgette dishes, and it takes just minutes to put together. The grated courgettes turn into a silky sauce for the pasta, spiked with chilli and pine nuts for interest. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but smart enough to serve to friends. As it’s such a simple dish, the secret is to keep tasting and adjusting the salt and lemon until it’s just right for you.
Ingredients
| 200g | linguine |
| 2 large or 3 medium | courgettes, grated |
| 1 tbsp | butter |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| 2 cloves | garlic, finely grated |
| ½–1 tsp | chilli flakes |
| 50g | pine nuts |
| 40g | vegetarian parmesan, grated |
| ½ | lemon, juice only, plus extra as needed |
| sea salt flakes, to taste |
Method
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to the packet instructions, to your preferred level of al dente (I like 12 minutes).
Meanwhile, tip the grated courgettes into a clean tea towel and squeeze over a bowl to remove as much liquid as possible. Heat the butter in a large frying pan; when foaming, add the oil, garlic and chilli. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the grated courgette and a big pinch of sea salt.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook the courgette for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts over a medium to low heat in a small, dry frying pan until there’s a good colour on them, watching them like a hawk so they don’t burn. This should take 4–5 minutes.
Drain the linguine, retaining a mugful of cooking water, then return the pasta to the pan. Add the cooked courgettes, 30g of the parmesan, the lemon juice, a big pinch of sea salt and stir well, adding a little pasta water as needed until you have a silky consistency. Taste and adjust the salt and add more lemon juice if needed. (The difference between this dish being amazing or ordinary is in this last step, so keep tasting!) Serve hot, scattered with the pine nuts.
VEGANISE: Substitute the butter with oil, and use vegan parmesan.
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