Courgette, Lemon and Basil Linguine
And how I was completely knocked sideways by THAT Netflix documentary ♡
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Hello lovely people,
In between the drama of last week’s The Traitors, I took time out to watch the new Netflix documentary series, ‘You Are What You Eat - A Twin Experiment’ and was completely knocked sideways by it. The basic premise is that 22 pairs of twins enter into an 8 week study, with one of each pair following a healthy omnivore diet and the other a healthy vegan diet, both rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Their key health markers are then tracked and there are findings, which broadly point to the benefits of eating less animal products. It was interesting despite the small sample size and the limitations of such a short study, but, for me, the real value came in the broader education piece about the realities of large-scale meat, poultry and fish production in terms of health impacts but also environmental, social and animal welfare impacts. Some of the footage is really hard-hitting and as I progressed through the episodes, I became increasingly unable to get the images out of my head.
I don’t cook a lot of red meat but chicken is a regular on my weekly menu and hardly a week goes by without a rotisserie chicken landing in my shopping trolley. Buying meat with clear provenance here in Dubai is virtually impossible and honestly, I dread to think about the journey most of it has made to reach my kitchen. So for now, I’m cutting it out - red meat, pork and chicken. Fish will stay (because otherwise, this change won’t be sustainable) along with eggs and dairy, and we’ll see how we go. When I received a call from #1 son asking if I’d watched the documentary and declaring that he’d also started a meat-free journey, I felt validated. Do watch it if you can. Much of the related media coverage has been along the lines of ‘yet more vegan brainwashing’ but we all need to be educated and then we can make up our own minds. As always, take what you like, share what you love and leave behind the rest. ♡
And on the theme of cooking with vegetables, here is a dish that you just might love. It’s a light and fresh pasta dish with punchy flavours and minimal cooking. Adjust the chilli flakes to suit your desire for heat and don't hold back on the Parmesan.
It’s a light and fresh pasta dish with punchy flavours and minimal cooking.
This is literally a ‘cook the pasta and throw in all the other ingredients’ dish and even with that degree of simplicity, it still delivers bags of flavour. The recipe originated from the book, Speedy MOB - 12-minute meals for 4 people by Ben Lebus and I’ve tweaked it only a tiny bit. The Parmesan finish is my own addition and it really brings everything together with a comforting final flourish. It’s a great book that I’ve recommended before and would also be a great gift for a teenager who likes speed and budget-friendly food (which I have discovered, only becomes a priority when they are doing their own grocery shopping!)
I like an overview - do you like an overview? Here is this recipe in an overview style -
Cook the pasta.
Grate the courgette, lemon zest and garlic into a bowl and throw in some lemon juice, olive oil, chilli flakes, rocket, salt and pepper. You will definitely need a coarse grater and a fine grater to make this dish.
Combine 1. and 2. and add most of the basil.
Serve with the rest of the basil and tonnes of grated Parmesan (or, at least, I like tonnes♡).
Enjoy!
Pasta - I only chose linguine because I like the shape of it; spaghetti would work just as well
Courgettes – these need to be fresh enough to grate (you know how they go a little soft when they’ve been hanging around - that state is not going to serve you well here). Choose the variety and colour that you prefer.
Garlic - avoid using a huge clove or it might overwhelm the flavour of the final dish, especially as it remains uncooked.
Lemon – you may or may not want to add the second half of the lemon juice just before you serve; depends on how much of a citrus fan you are + the juiciness of your lemons.
Rocket - the leaves are going to wilt in the heat of the cooked linguine, so if your rocket is not 100% fresh, it’s not a problem.
Chilli flakes - these sometimes really vary in heat intensity, so if you are using a new jar, proceed with caution.
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan - go for fresh, obviously!
Basil - this dish can take a lot of basil, but save some for your final garnish flourish; makes you look like a pro!
It is deliciously light and fresh – sometimes I want cosy pasta, but this recipe is more of a punchy pasta. It’s not going to leave you feeling that a nap would be a good idea!
It comes together so very quickly - the original recipe claims 12 minutes from start to finish, but none of us like to feel that kind of pressure so I’m suggesting that 15 minutes is more realistic.
There’s very little preparation involved – and what there is, can be done while the pasta is cooking.
A great dish for teenagers to cook for themselves – and definitely one to have in their tool kit when they leave home.
The leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day - but don’t I always say that?!
Courgette, Lemon and Basil Linguine
Serves 4 (or 2 very hungry eaters)
Preparation - 5 mins
Cook - 10 mins
Ingredients
250g (9oz) dried linguine
250g (9oz) courgettes
1 garlic clove (not an enormous one)
1 large lemon
2-3 big handfuls of rocket
extra virgin olive oil
a few dried chilli flakes, to taste
a bunch of fresh basil
plenty of freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
You will need – a coarse grater and a fine grater
Method
Cook the pasta - cook the linguine, according to the packet instructions in a large saucepan with plenty of salt.
Prepare the vegetables - while the pasta is cooking, coarsely grate the courgette into a large bowl. Finely grate in the zest of the lemon and the garlic. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half over the courgette mixture (reserving the other), then drizzle in a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil. Add the rocket to the bowl, with a few chilli flakes. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Combine the pasta with the vegetables – when the pasta is cooked drain it in a colander and add it back to the pan. Tip in the courgette mixture and all its juices and tear in most of the basil. Mix well (using tongs is the easiest) and taste to check the seasoning and whether you’d like to add the juice from the remaining lemon half.
Serve the pasta – topping with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a generous sprinkling of Parmesan and the rest of the basil as a garnish.
This is a great, quick, tasty recipe which I hope you will try. Do let me know when you make it; you can join the conversation by commenting below or you can get straight into my inbox by emailing me at rachelpage@substack.com ♡
Sending you all the love,
Note - This recipe contains affiliate links. If you buy something through any of my links, I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. I recommend only products that I genuinely like. Thank you for trusting me ♡
I love the simplicity of this and it's so healthy! Definitely one for the kids who've left home! Funny-my two eldest (21) were sharing recipes and shopping tips at a family birthday dinner last night- both having done a stint living out (uni students tend to live at home here in Ireland)- you are so right-nothing teaches like having to shop and cook for yourself ! But then-just to prove that balance is everything -they were planning where to take their 18year old brother for a 'fry up of champions' when they all visit London for a football match next week-everything in moderation! :)