Confit Courgette Pasta with Lemon, Garlic, Oregano & Paprika

CONFIT COURGETTE PASTA
WITH LEMON, GARLIC, OREGANO & PAPRIKA

Prep time - 10 mins
Cooking time - 40 mins
Serves 4

Ingredients

600g Courgettes
400g Onions
1/2 bulb Garlic
1 Lemon
100g Olive Oil or Vegan Butter (I use Naturli Block)
10 stalks Oregano
1 tap Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Chipotle Chilli Flakes
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
400g Pasta

Method

1. Peel the skins from the onions and garlic cloves.
2. Roughly slice the onion, courgette (and butter, if using) into pieces approx. 1cm thick.
3. Put the onion, courgette and peeled garlic into a large roasting tray. Zest the lemon and add it to the tray, along with the oregano, cumin, fennel, paprika, chilli, salt and butter/oil. Mix gently to combine.
4. Create a cartouche by cutting baking parchment to the size of the tray, and placing it firmly over the top of the vegetables. (This helps control steam to prevent drying, and also concentrates flavours.)
5. Place in oven set to 180°C for approx. 40 mins. The courgettes, onion and garlic will be softened and starting to caramelise when cooked. (Tip - If the courgettes contain a lot of water, it could make the veg too soggy. If this happens, remove the cartouche and allow the steam to evaporate by opening the oven door occasionally during cooking).
6. Remove from oven, take off the cartouche, and leave to cool slightly. Spoon a little of the fragrant oil/butter into a bowl & reserve. Use a fork to mash/crush the contents of the tray, creating a thick buttery sauce. (Or you can use a blender to create a smoother sauce if that's your preference!)
7. Cook the pasta in salted water, according to package instructions. Reserve 100ml of the pasta water before draining.
8. Return the cooked pasta to the saucepan, along with the confit courgette and pasta water. Stir on a medium-low temperature until heated through. Add lemon juice, black pepper & salt to taste. Serve drizzled with the reserved oil.

The mashed/blended can also be served cold, as a dip, with crusty bread or crudites.

If you like tahini, I recommend adding this in at the mashing/banding stage. It creates a really velvety, creamy and luxurious sauce!