Basil pesto, courgette and roasted lemon pasta
When it comes to home cooking, I believe that some of the best recipes only use a handful of ingredients. Each carefully selected to complement the other flavours included in the dish. I’ve always found that too many complex culinary characters at once can overcrowd your palate. Instead, it’s essential to give each ingredient space to ‘breathe’ allowing you to enjoy each flavour in all its glory. The less, the better is my motto.
This basil pesto, courgette and roasted lemon pasta creation drew inspiration from a simple summer salad. A fresh courgette basil salad drizzled with a lemon olive oil dressing. A mighty delicious combination. So, for this recipe, I manipulated the ingredients slightly differently and created a delicate pasta dish.
Printbasil pesto, courgette and roasted lemon pasta ( 2 people)
- 250g Fusili pasta
- Olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 courgette, diced
- 1 lemon, sliced thinly
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- Salt
- Pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Roasted the lemon slices for 15 minutes 
Fry the garlic and courgette in olive oil 
Drain and add the pasta to the courgette. 
Add the pesto and pasta water. Stir and mix well together 
Basil pesto, courgette and roasted lemon pasta
BASIL PESTO, COURGETTE AND ROASTED LEMON PASTA (2 people)
- Pre-heat the oven at 200c.
- Place the lemon slices on a baking tray, drizzle olive oil and season with salt. Roast the slices for 10-15 minutes. Once ready, set aside.
- Drizzle olive oil in a deep, wide frying pan; on low heat, fry the garlic and courgette until softened. Season with salt and pepper
- In the meantime, cook the pasta al dente in salted boiling water as instructed on the packet. Before you drain the pasta, collect some pasta water in a mug.
- Add the drained pasta to the courgettes. Add the basil pesto with 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water. Toss the pasta and ensure it’s well coated with the sauce.
- Serve with the roasted lemon. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top.
