Spaghetti with Courgettes, Rosemary and Mascarpone

This is one of those Italian pasta recipes that’s so simple you can’t believe how wonderful it tastes when you check the ingredients. I can’t think of any basic food where the expression ‘less is more’ fits better than pasta. It’s a source of some irritation to me that some people in the UK still think that the ratio of sauce to pasta should be at least 50/50 if not 70/30. Am I alone in finding a mound of tomato sauce with a few strings of spaghetti a profoundly depressing sight?

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 tbsp olive oil

600g courgettes, grated 1 garlic clove, chopped Zest of 1⁄2 unwaxed lemon 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

90g mascarpone

50g Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, grated

400g spaghetti

Salt and black pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the grated courgettes, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary and chilli flakes. Cook gently over a medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes until the courgettes are very soft. Stir in the mascarpone and two-thirds of the cheese, then taste and season with salt and plenty of pepper.

Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain, add the pasta to the courgette sauce and stir well to combine. Serve topped with the remaining grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.