“This would be nicer if it had some chicken in it.”
Is the last thing you want your veggie pasta to make you think. And in this little take on the familiar classic, meat has no place and it isn’t missed one bit.
The simple carrot and courgette pair up brilliantly in the hearty and herby sauce. Spooned over spaghetti it makes for a fast weeknight dinner — unlike its meaty counterpart, which benefits from hours of agonising blipping. No meat, no dramas.
For two
- 2 large carrots and 2 large courgettes, finely grated
- 1 golden onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 200ml white wine, water or veg stock
- 500g chunky passata
- 1tbsp dried oregano
- 1tsp white sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Olive oil for cooking and EVOO for dressing
- Spaghetti, basil and Parmesan to serve
Method
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
- On a medium heat fry the onion in some olive oil until softened, then add the carrot and garlic and cook for around 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots and add the passata, oregano, wine/stock, sugar, a scrunch of salt and generous grind of black pepper to the onions. When it starts to bubble, turn the heat down and put the lid on so it can simmer.
- Put the spaghetti in to cook.
- Add the courgettes and lemon to the carrots and stir to combine on a high heat, add a ladle full of the pasta water to the veggies, then turn on to a simmer and cover and allow to cook while the spaghetti cooks — turning it off when the spaghetti is draining, and testing and adjusting the seasoning as needed.
- Serve spooned over pasta with a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan and basil.