Nigel Slater’s midweek dinner: courgettes, basil, pasta

Serves 2. Ready in 20 minutes.

Make a basil oil by whizzing 25g of basil leaves in a blender with 100ml of olive oil. Squeeze in a little lemon juice (1 tbsp should be enough), then season to taste with salt.

Cut 2 medium-to-large courgettes into cubes, roughly 1cm square. Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat. Add the courgettes and let them cook for about 8 minutes. Grate in a clove or two of fresh garlic, stirring from time to time. Turn the courgettes as they soften and turn pale gold.

Put a pan of water on to boil and salt it generously. Add 250g of orecchietti or similarly small pasta shapes, and cook for about 9 minutes, until tender. Drain the pasta.

When the courgettes are soft, but still holding their shape, stir in the drained pasta and the basil oil. Top with a few extra basil leaves if you like.

More ideas

• Cut 125g of pancetta into small cubes, then add to oil prior to the courgettes.
• Stir 200g of roughly chopped tomatoes once the courgettes have softened and let them warm though before tossing with the pasta.
• If you were lucky enough to have some courgette flowers, make a simple tempura batter, deep fry them and use as an accompaniment, as pictured.

Photograph by Jonathan Lovekin