a day ago
Tagliatelle with courgettes, peas, feta and dill
For this, you want to cook the courgettes until they become a little golden but not so much that they get soft and collapse. Getting courgettes really soft is right for some dishes but not this one. The seasoning should be assertive. Linguine can be used instead of tagliatelle.
You can also make quite a different but delicious version using the same recipe but adding hot smoked flaked trout or salmon instead of the feta.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
235g courgettes, cut into slices (about ½cm thickness)
75g sugar snap peas, cut in half along their length
1 garlic clove, grated to a purée
200g tagliatelle
60g peas, defrosted if frozen
finely grated zest of ½ lemon
75g feta, crumbled
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
grated Parmesan, plus more to serve (optional)
Method
Step
Heat a large frying pan set over a medium heat with 2 tbsp olive oil and sauté 235g sliced courgettes, cut into slices, cooking them on both sides until they are golden in patches – about 5-6 minutes each side, but be guided by the colour.
Step
Just before they get to that stage, add 75g halved sugar snap peas and a pureed clove of garlic and continue to cook until the courgettes no longer look raw but are still crispy – about 1-2 minutes.
Step
Meanwhile, cook 200g tagliatelle in a pan of boiling salted water until it's ready, or according to the packet instructions. Drain – keep a cupful of the water – and put the pasta back in the pan in which it was cooked.
Step
Add the vegetables to the pasta, including 60g peas, along with the finely grated zest of ½ lemon and 25ml of the pasta cooking water.
Step
Warm through on a medium heat, turning the pasta and vegetables over with tongs – the water, yoghurt and feta should come together and thicken a little.
Step
Remove from the heat. Stir through 1 tbsp each of chopped dill and parsley, 2 tbsp lemon juice (added to taste), and season well.
Step
Serve immediately. I don't add Parmesan but do so if you want to.