Courgette, pea and ricotta pasta

A quick supper from Dame Jen Greenhalgh

It’s courgette glut season – that wonderful point in late summer when gardens and allotments seem determined to produce courgettes faster than we can eat them.

Dame Jen Greenhalgh shares a brilliantly simple way to put them to good use: a fresh, creamy pasta with peas, ricotta, lemon and mint. Quick enough for a midweek supper, but with plenty of flavour – and those little pockets of ricotta make it feel rather special.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 handfuls of your favourite pasta shape

• 4 small–medium courgettes

• 100–150g peas

• 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed

• Zest and juice of ½ lemon

• Small handful of fresh mint leaves

• 4–5 tbsp double cream

• 1 x 250g tub ricotta

• Good olive oil

• Sea salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

Optional, to finish

• Toasted pine nuts or chopped toasted pistachios

• Chilli flakes

Method

Wash the courgettes and cut them into rounds about a finger thick.

Heat a small amount of good olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Arrange the courgettes in a single layer – a little like you’re making a tarte Tatin.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but take a minute or two off the suggested cooking time so it remains nicely al dente. Before draining, reserve some of the pasta water.

Cook the courgettes on one side only for 2–3 minutes, until lightly golden. Flip them over, then add the lemon zest, torn mint leaves, crushed garlic and peas. Give everything a shake to combine and season generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Squeeze in the lemon juice, mix again, then add a good splash of the reserved pasta water. Turn the heat down to low.

Add the double cream and stir until everything comes together. Spoon in half the ricotta and gently mix through.

Turn off the heat, drain the pasta and add it straight to the courgette mixture. With the heat still off, very gently fold through the remaining ricotta – you want to keep some lovely little pockets of creamy ricotta rather than mixing it in completely.

Spoon into bowls and finish with more freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of good olive oil. Add chilli flakes, toasted pine nuts or chopped pistachios if you fancy.

Dame Jen’s tip: Don’t overcook those courgettes – keeping a little colour and texture makes all the difference.