Courgette, Chilli & Anchovy Pasta

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for the pasta, and at the same time, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the basil stalks, garlic, anchovies, and chilli flakes. For added flavour, drizzle a bit of the oil from the anchovy tin. 

Cook until fragrant then add the sliced courgette.

Sauté on a gentle heat until the courgette starts breaking down, almost getting caught on the bottom – remember to stir frequently. While this is happening, your water should be boiling, so throw in the pasta – if using a thick spaghetti, the cook time is often about 12-13 minutes so this will time really well with the sauce. If you’re using a faster cooking shape, consider letting the courgette cook for a little longer before adding the pasta if it’s not broken down enough.

Add 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water to the courgette and continue cooking in a low heat, stirring occasionally. You may season to taste with salt at this point.

When the pasta is about a minute under al dente, remove the basil stalks and garlic (if desired) from the sauce before adding the basil leaves, very al dente pasta, another 1/2 cup of pasta water – continue cooking the pasta for a minute.

Add 40g of the grated parmigiano and toss to emulsify this with the sauce – you should have a creamy sauce comprised of the broken down zucchini, starchy pasta water and cheese.

Serve with the remaining parmi!