You know what? Its March, and I just realised that I may actually be able to to keep my New Year’s resolution this year! (Remember my New Year Challenge? If you didn’t, here’s a Q1 reminder 😉 ) I wanted to cook and eat a little more healthily this year and I might say that thus far, I’ve been doing fairly well. I’m no health freak though but its nice to have a healthy option sometimes.
And it so happens that I really enjoy eating and cooking tomato based pastas and courgettes (zucchinis) so when I spotted this very fascinating recipe by Charlotte over at Lipglossiping, I knew I had to try it!
Interestingly, I’d always called the vegetable “courgette” because the first time I ate it was when I was in the UK and the name stuck. When I came home and tried looking for it, no one knew what I was talking about until one day, I went to the supermarket, held up a courgette and said “This! This is a courgette!” Only to be told “It says ‘zucchini'” So yeah. I prefer calling it a courgette 🙂
Charlotte had a swanky spiralizer that allows her to turn it into spaghetti looking strips. I didn’t so instead, I took a regular peeler and peeled the courgette into spirals. I couldn’t document the process because my camera ran out of battery, but essentially, I held the peeler flat, parallel to the floor and peeled it in a spiral shape, so I had wider strips. Charlotte had courgette spaghetti, while I ended up with courgette fettuccine LOL!
You can read her recipe on her blog here, and I’ve got my version below.
Basically, what we’re doing is replacing the pasta in your “pasta” dish with the courgette pasta. You can lightly blanch it in boiling water very quickly first then drain it, or you can stick it in the microwave for about 3-4 minutes (I like my veges crunchy) just to soften it then drain.
Courgette “pasta” in tomato sauce (serves 2)
You need:
- 2 courgettes cut into thin flat spirals or julienned
- 1 can of chopped or whole tomatoes
- Garlic minced
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Its super easy to prepare:
- Lightly blanch or microwave the sliced courgette for about 3-4 minutes
- In a pan, fry some minced garlic, then add the can of tomatoes and basil leaves.
- Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash up the tomatoes and allow it to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- You can strain the sauce or if you prefer it chunky, don’t.
- Add the sliced courgettes into the sauce and toss it. Don’t leave them in too long or it’ll get very watery and take too long to dry out by which time your vegetables will be overcooked.
- Serve hot with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes and some parmesan cheese if desired.
Told you it was super easy! You can add some bacon slices before frying the garlic or make a meat sauce if you prefer. I learnt this basic tomato sauce from a Jamie Oliver recipe and its amazingly simple. If you strain it, it comes out very smooth which is great for pizza or if you like smooth sauces. I like mine chunky so I don’t strain (also its just too much trouble LOL!)
I served mine with lots of fresh greens and cherry tomatoes and home made chicken tenders fresh from the oven. Its surprisingly filling and you don’t have the carbohydrate overload feeling that you can get with eating a lot of pasta. Of course, nothing beats downing a hearty plate of pasta and you have to like eating courgettes/zucchinis to enjoy this dish, but I do, and its an amazingly simple, fresh and healthy dish 🙂
Have you tried something like this? Do you say “courgette” or “zucchini”?
The most difficult part about preparing this dish is in getting the courgette strips. If you use a peeler or maybe a grater maybe it’ll help but I didn’t want that sort of texture. It was a bit like eating a nice hefty vegetable salad for me and I enjoyed it tremendously! Gonna make this again soon – I have extra sauce 😉
Paris B
Scrumptious Saturday: One day of the week where I indulge in my other love – Food! It will feature my cooking experiments or eating and travel adventures. Yes, I will travel for good food and I’m always experimenting in the kitchen.
Hehe, zucchini please. This is a brilliant idea! Like you, I love chunky tomato sauce. And I always associate pasta and only pasta with it. Love your healthy and yummy recipe. Alas, healthy and yummy can actually marry 🙂
Yay high 5 for chunky tomato sauce! I love finding bits of tomato in my sauce. It feels authentic hehe… Try this someday if you can. Its delish!
This look yummy! I’ve seen recipes that use the courgette instead of pasta before, but because I didn’t have the fancy machine thing (whatever it’s called!) that turns it into ribbons, never tried it. Your idea with the peeler is genius! You’ve made me hungry and I can’t so late!
Of course you see I call it courgette, living in England. It’s funny how some of these less “everyday” vegetables have so many (English) names across the world. Eggplant is aubergine to me, bell peppers are just peppers and recently I found out that in Australia it’s called a capsicum!
The funny thing is, until a few years ago when I started university and did my own shopping, I never knew any of these names in English, since I usually only saw these at home so never heard the English names.
I think its called a Spiralizer and it looks über cool! I wouldn’t have gotten it because I know I won’t get use out of it, but its still very cool. The peeler trick makes it a bit thin so don’t cook it too long.
I love calling it Aubergine too. I never got the hang of eggplant although I do call peppers ‘capsicum’. I learnt the names when I used to do the marketing at Sainsburys as a student. Ah, miss those days!
Hi Pb, i nv know how to cook this zucchini though i read a lot this vege is very nutritious. Now i have to try this recipe as i love tomatoes so much.
It’s a very good and delicious vegetable, Tuti. Do try it, or if peeling is too much work, just cut it into strips and use it as a sauce over pasta if you prefer it that way 😉
That looks so delicious Paris, thank you for sharing your recipe with us. I love pasta so this is something I want to try for myself.
You’re welcome, Jacqueline 😉 I hope you enjoy it, and you can use it as a pasta sauce too if you prefer. Just Slice up the couchette instead of peeling it 🙂
And you my dear girl, will disappear into nothingness…
Lol! Far from it 😀 I pack in too much carbs as it is 😛
Oh, it’s actually Japanese cucumber!
Actually it isn’t, CY. It’s more like a squash and is fatter than a Japanese cucumber, but the flesh is thicker and not as full of water as a Japanese cucumber is.
That looks REALLY good. And I have been craving zucchini pancakes, should probably make those at some point 🙂
Zucchini pancakes! You need to post a picture on twitter when you make it, Marina!
It looks great! Just yesterday I read Alain Ducasse’s recipe for courgette ‘pasta’ 😀 I will have to try it!!
Ooh there’s an actual recipe for it? I’m going to look it up too!
Wow! Yummy ~licious! The chicken looks crispy LOL! 😀
It was! Oh and healthy too 😉
Oh yummy yummy!! I love tomato based sauce, and since I’m trying to cut down on processed carbs, the zucchini is a great idea 🙂 I’ll definitely give this a try one day!
It’s a great way to substitute pasta, with the same bite but without all the carbs 🙂 Let me know how you like it if you try this 🙂
Mmm….I actually just saw this on the LipGlossiping site the other day too and it made me want to try it sooo bad! Glad to know it tastes as good as it looks 🙂 Oh, and I call it zucchini. When she was talking about how to make it, I had to Google “courgette” because I had no clue what that was 😛
Hahaha! Over here, everyone calls it Zucchini too – I think its the US influence 🙂 But I’m glad you know now that its the same thing so you can go and make it! Its delish!
I love courgettes – raw, sliced, pan fried, oven baked, in Thai dish gaeng-som or simply fry with eggs!! (And I also refuse to call it zucchini!! Or eggplants!) :p
Maybe I can get my children to start loving courgettes by making this “pasta” dish. They are OK with normal pasta but whenever I give them chopped courgettes they spit out right away… hhrrrrrr!!!
Thanks for the recipe. And the lovely photo is really tempting! 😀
Yay for a fellow courgette fan 😉 I think your kids will enjoy it because it doesn’t look like a vegetable haha! If you have the spiral thing, it looks so much fun! But peeling it works too – let me know how it goes with the little picky eaters 😉
That spiral thingy (Spiralizer?) is quite a nifty thing, was quite surprised to see the noodley result! I wouldn’t mind having “pasta” like that, looks quite delish. 😀
It is, if you like the vege and I’m dying to get that spiralizer except that I know I’d never get enough use out of it 😛
Too funny! I read the Lipglossing post just a day or two ago and it took me ages to understand what a courgette was! Americans definitely say zucchini. I’m guessing this dish didn’t taste much like pasta at all, but tomatoes with anything = a win in my book so I’ll be trying this out soon!
LOL!! I can’t believe we are hitting a language barrier! 😀 People here call it a zucchini too which is probably the American influence but I just like the sound of courgette better – sounds so exotic 😀 It doesn’t taste like pasta but it does taste lighter and fresher. Maybe good for a summer or warm day when you don’t feel like eating anything too heavy? Sprinkle some cheese and it may start tasting like pasta 😀
Courgette for me. I use exactly the same pasta sauce recipe for my basic pasta sauce.
Hurrah for another “courgette” fan 😉 The sauce is so incredibly easy and so delicious! I used to do a variation of it before but I never thought to add in basil leaves – it adds a lovely flavour to the sauce 😀
I just had courgette and tomatoes fettuccine last week. 🙂 It’s great during hot weathers when I need something ‘light’ but still flavourful.
You said it! It’s such a light refreshing dish on a hot hot day!
I caved and bought the spiralizer or the Japanese version of it, a Benriner model. So far I’ve got a lot of use from it. Surprisingly, there are a lot of recipes out there for these types of pastas. So far, I’ve made not only courgette but carrot and sweet potato pasta. I’ve eaten them completely raw (except for the sweet potato) or semicooked. This is just what we need during hot weather season we’re having, something light and fresh, without too much ingredients and not much cooking, also not much to clean up afterwards. And on top of that healthy too. Kind of having a mini detox.
That’s cool, Ginger! I think its so much fun and you can toss them into salads and the like to give them more bite. Maybe I should think about investing in one too 😉
So far no regrets. Yesterday I had spiralized daikon with miso soup (a variation from your miso soup noodle recipe) and added soft tofu for protein. It was the only way I could eat the daikon. It was still bitter but more palatable than eating it raw. For dessert I had spiralized apple with pistachio ice cream and sprinkled some chopped pistachio on top. I’ve an avocado browning in a paperbag since yesterday which I hope will turn soft tomorrow, so I can make mix courgette pasta with avocado and lemon sauce. The possibilities are endless!
And you don’t really have to use all at one time. I just buy one of each vegetable more or less medium sizes, one yellow & one green courgette, one daikon and some bunches of carrots. Then you just cut a piece of the bit you want to use for the day from each vegetable and the rest you can keep for the days ahead. So far I’ve managed to stretch it for the next 3 to 4 days this way. For protein I just add either boil eggs, tempe or tofu. I’m not a vegetarian but sometimes it’s nice to go meatless and grainless once in a while.
So, if you do get it I hope you’ll get creative and enjoy using it as I am now.
You, my dear Ginger are making me really REALLY want this gadget now. Like you, I’m not vegetarian but in hot weather, a nice light salad is quite perfect. Minimal cooking and healthy! Ok next project – find Spiralizer!
He, he, he. Payback for all the stuff that you’ve “convinced” us to get over the years! Justkidding 😉 Actually, have to really thank you for introducing some real gems like Kieh’s Midnight Recovery – the only oil that I can use on my face without breaking out, Guerlain Super Aqua-Day Triple Protection Shield – not only it serves as a sun shield but it gives that me that fresh dewy look during the day and the 360 degrees spin dry mop – a life saver if you live with cats who does the occasional “accidents”. These are only a few things I can remember and I’m still using them.
You can read some reviews online of which type of Spiralizer to get. I’m using the Benriner Turning Slicer as it takes off the middle part of a courgette or cucumber and your spiralized vegetable won’t get mushy either. I don’t know why some reviewers find it hard to clean though. I take off the detachable blade first and then clean that and the whole thing with running hot water and soap and after just air dry it. So good luck 🙂
Tsk tsk! >.< Happy to have introduced you to some star products 😀 I'll definitely take a look at the Spiralizer because it looks fun and I would love to add more variety to my salads. It gets so boring eating the same old same old everytime.