There are worse problems than an abundance of fresh mint. You can make Chicken Curry with Mint. You can add it to drinks. Or you can do what I did one July evening in Monte Lope Álvarez — throw it into a pan of courgette, onion, and penne and call it supper.
Summer pasta on the terrace — Casa Adora
The flavour logic
Courgette on its own is mild to the point of indifference. What it needs is a supporting cast — and this one works well. Onion and garlic give it a base. A grating of nutmeg and a pinch of white pepper add gentle spice without heat. Dried oregano brings a herbal earthiness. And the fresh mint, added at the end, does something that basil doesn't quite manage in midsummer: it cools everything down and makes the dish taste like the season it came from.
Frozen peas are optional. I usually add them. They take no time and they belong here.
A note on the pasta
The original was penne – and penne is still the right call. The tubes catch the courgette and hold the olive oil, and the retained pasta water gives you just enough liquid to pull it all together without it becoming a sauce. Rigatoni works equally well if that's what you have.
Pasta with Courgette and Mint
Serves: 2 Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 200g penne or rigatoni
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
- 2 medium courgettes, diced
- A good handful of fresh mint, chopped, plus sprigs to serve
- A grating of fresh nutmeg
- A pinch of white pepper
- A pinch of dried oregano
- A handful of frozen peas (optional)
- Olive oil
- Parmesan, grated, to serve
- Black pepper to finish
Method
- Sauté the onion in a little olive oil over medium heat until softening. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the diced courgette and stir everything together. Grate over some nutmeg, add the white pepper and dried oregano, and stir again. Add the frozen peas now if using.
- After a couple of minutes, add the chopped mint and stir through.
- Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil, add the pasta, and cook at a rolling boil according to packet instructions minus one minute. Before draining, retain a spoonful of the cooking water.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the courgette pan, stirring gently to combine. If the mixture looks dry, add the reserved pasta water.
- Add the grated Parmesan, stir through, and serve with fresh mint sprigs and a grind of black pepper. Salt is not necessary.
It is at its best when sat upon a roof terrace, sipping something dry and very chilled whilst watching the sun slip behind the olive groves on the mount that is Monte Lope Álvarez.
Salud!
This recipe is part of my Pasta Recipes collection. It joins a growing collection of pasta dishes — from quick weeknight suppers to slow-cooked ragù and baked Italian classics — in my complete Pasta Recipes hub.
Wonky photos, proper pasta, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef
