We are in love with this easy recipe for garlic courgette spaghetti. There’s some fresh courgette, tomatoes, basil, parmesan, and lots of garlic – which as you may already know we love. The best part? It only takes about 20 minutes to make.

This pasta recipe is all about fresh ingredients. The courgette should be firm and the tomatoes sweet. If you have a hard time finding good, flavorful tomatoes, it is better to use canned tomatoes. We love some canned San Marzano tomatoes.

The easiest way to make courgette noodles is to use a spiralizer. They make some long, curly noodles in just a few minutes. This is a great tool to add to your kitchen. You can also use a julienne vegetable peeler. These come in at under
£8 and might even be hiding in your kitchen drawer. Most mandoline slicers will make noodles, too. You can also use a standard veggie peeler with which you can make some wide noodles.

Below you have a video that discusses different methods of making the courgette (zucchini) noodles.

Once you’ve got noodles, you’re ready to cook them.

Garlic courgette spaghetti by CRAVEmonkey
Garlic courgette spaghetti by CRAVEmonkey

How to Cook Them

Courgette is mostly made up of water so cooking it can be tricky. Here are our tips for cooking it well:

  • Don’t peel the courgette. Peeled courgette noodles are mushy and are less crunch. As well it adds an extra step which we don’t need when we want the dinner on the table fast.
  • Do not salt the courgette ahead of time or while it cooks in the pan. Salt draws out water from the courgette. This will make it less crunchy when it’s cooked. Since in our opinion salt makes things taste good (of course in reasonable amounts), we prefer to salt the sauce and not the courgette.
  • Do not overcook the courgette noodles. They should be cooked to al dente (just like pasta). This means they will look wilted, but still have a crunch.

Since courgette has a tendency to become watery, we do our best to reduce this as much as possible in our recipe. Even so, you will still find some water left at the bottom of the serving bowl. This is okay with us. The liquid mixes with tomato, garlic, cheese, and olive oil, so it’s delicious. By the way, if you are looking for more ways to use up courgette, here’s our parmesan courgette chips recipe for you. They are addictive. Or if you want to venture into unknown territory what about making come courgette cake here is the recipe.

In the meantime let’s make some delicious, gluten-free, guilt-free veggie pasta!

Ingredients for garlic courgette spaghetti :

  • 4 medium-sized courgettes
  • 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp of minced garlic (3 to 4 cloves)
  • 1/2 of onion (we used red onion for some additional colour on the plate)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped, or a can of tomatoes (fresh tomatoes are a better option but a can of good San Marzanos is an option)
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • a handful of basil leaves, torn into pieces
  • 1 tsp of cornstarch
  • 2 tsp of cold water
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like the pasta (optional)

Method:

  1. Trim and spiralize the courgette (see video below for a few methods that can help you create zoodles). We recommend to cut extra long noodles so that they are about the length of spaghetti – it is so much fun that way!
  2. Add olive oil, garlic, onion and the red pepper flakes (optional) to a large, deep skillet (we actually used wok skillet). Turn to medium heat.
  3. When the oil begins to bubble around the garlic, add the courgette noodles. Toss the noodles with pasta tongs and cook until they are al dente — they should be soft, but have a crunch as well; it should take you about 5-7 minutes. Remember do not let the noodles cook any longer or else they will become mushy.
  4. Also as they cook, remember to toss them. In that way, all the courgette noodles have a chance to hit the bottom of the skillet.
  5. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese. Cook for about one minute.
  6. Use pasta tongs to transfer the noodles, tomatoes, and basil to a serving dish. Leave the liquid in the skillet.
  7. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl then whisk into the simmering liquid. This will make the sauce thicker. Cook if for about one minute and season to taste.
  8. Pour the sauce over the zucchini, tomatoes, and basil. Finish with more parmesan cheese on top and serve it straight away.

Don’t forget to send us photos of your creation and tag us on social media @cravemonkeypl (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

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