Have you ever heard of Courgetti or Zucchetti?
If not, then today is your lucky day! If you have, then you already know just how awesome it is. To start with, Courgetti is an incredible substitute for spaghetti that I truly believe will slowly but surely revolutionise the world of food… I kid you not!
Haven’t completely sold it to you yet?
Here are some more glorious facts about Courgetti: not only is it gluten free, vegan and ridiculously healthy, but is also cheap, quick, easy to make, and incredibly delicious. What more could you want?
I’ve made this recipe (see below) for my carnivorous best friend and my fussy sister –who, by the way, lives entirely off carbs- and both said it was better than good ol’ spagbol!
Intrigued? Well keep reading!
There are many ways to be creative with Courgetti by experimenting with different sauces and toppings, but today I will share with you the easiest and tastiest concoction: Pesto Courgetti with Garlic Mushrooms
Ingredients (serves 1):
1 Courgette/Zucchini (it’s the long green thing that’s not a cucumber for all you first-timers)
11/2 Tablespoons of Pesto, or more if you’d like, but I find it better with just a subtle hint of pesto
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 Clove of Garlic, finely chopped
3-5 Mushrooms (optional)
1 Tablespoon of Pine Nuts (optional)
1 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan (or any cheese of your preference; I found that goats cheese also accompanies the dish really well!)
Enough Olive Oil for frying the Courgetti in one pan and the mushrooms, onions and garlic in another
1 Julienne Peeler (that’s the peeler with the teeth)
1 or 2 Frying Pans (it doesn’t really matter if you use 1 or 2, you can throw it all into 1 but I prefer to use 2 frying pans)
*If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, it is also great topped with roasted vegetables (peppers, onions, garlic, carrots, sweet potato… whatever takes your fancy!)
Instructions:
1. Finely chop the onion and garlic, and slice the mushrooms
2. Wash the courgette, chop the very ends off, then take your Julienne Peeler and drag the peeler downwards, making sure that it slices the courgette into thin, long strips that should resemble green spaghetti.
3. Heat the frying pan on a medium-high heat with roughly a tablespoon of olive oil
4. Add the onions first and fry until they start to brown, then add the mushrooms and half of the chopped garlic. Fry for a further couple of minutes and then turn down to low heat
5. Add a splash of lemon juice and season
6. Immediately after, heat your second frying pan on high heat with a splash of olive oil
7. Once hot, throw all of your courgettified courgette into the pan (I’m just making up words here), and let the courgette cook for roughly 5 minutes whilst stirring frequently
8. Add the rest of the garlic, pesto and season accordingly with salt, pepper and any other spices you like, then turn down the heat to medium-low
9. Once the Courgetti becomes slightly tender but still has a firm crunch, turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl, adding the mushrooms, onions and garlic as a topping
10. If you’re using pine nuts, put them in one of your now-empty frying pans, and return to a high heat. You don’t need to add any more oil as the remnants in the pan suffice
11. Cook until brown stirring frequently (they brown very fast!)
12. Add them to your meal and voila!
I know what you’re thinking, what’s the catch?! This is all far too good to be true! Just trust me and get cookin’ good lookin’.