Mediterranean courgette spaghetti with pesto

Mediterranean courgette spaghetti with pesto: a light recipe with courgettes, tomatoes, hard cheese, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 10 min
• Total time: 25 min
• Calories: 350 kcal per serving
• Protein: 12 g
• Fat: 28 g
• Carbs: 14 g

Ingredients

• 3 courgettes
• 200 g tomatoes
• 1 piece of vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 handful of pine nuts
• Coarse pink salt crystals
• 4 tbsp vegetarian pesto (made with olive oil, no seed oils)

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · spiralizer · chopping board · knife · grater

1. Wash the courgettes and cut them into fine courgette spaghetti with a spiraliser or vegetable peeler. Halve or dice the tomatoes and peel the garlic.
2. Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry frying pan until lightly golden. Take them out straight away so they don't keep darkening.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and briefly fry the garlic. Add the tomatoes and cook only until they soften and release some juice.
4. Add the courgette spaghetti and toss only briefly in the pan. Fold in the pesto and season with coarse pink salt crystals.
5. Shave or grate the piece of hard cheese into fine flakes. Add some of it straight to the warm pan so everything turns slightly creamy.
6. Divide the courgette spaghetti between plates and sprinkle with hard cheese and pine nuts. Drizzle with a little more olive oil if you like.

Good to know

A plate like this feels like a summer evening. Fresh, savoury and quick to make. When you want something light that isn't boring, this recipe fits well.

Swaps

Pine nuts → walnuts (more omega-3 fatty acids) | Hard cheese → vegetarian hard cheese made from sheep's milk (often a little stronger in flavour) | Pesto → homemade from basil, olive oil, hard cheese and walnuts (no additives) | Tomatoes → oven-roasted peppers (also provide vitamin C)

Allergens

Contains milk, and the pesto usually contains nuts. Well suited to children if the garlic is used sparingly. During pregnancy, cook it through and use pasteurised pesto and cheese.