Slow-cooked Courgettes

When cooked very slowly courgettes lose most of their moisture and become a thick, fragrant, chunky mass, which actually freezes very well, so when you have plenty of courgettes it is worth cooking 2 or 3 times the quantity and freezing some. The sauce looks particularly pretty if you have a combination of yellow and green courgettes.

This is a lovely pasta sauce if you add a few tablespoons of double cream or crème fraiche or the base for a lovely soup, just whiz up with a little stock and/or milk. But they also make a great toast or grilled Panini topping.

For two with pasta -

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 lb courgettes, finely sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, or butter
• Parmesan
• Cream or Crème Fraiche to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan then add the garlic, courgettes and a little salt
Cook gently, so the courgettes soften without browning. As they release their water, turn up the heat to bubble it off. When they become more concentrated and pulpy, turn it down again, adding a little more oil if they start to stick
Stir whenever they begin to catch on the pan and do not allow them to brown more than a shade.
Keep cooking until they are rich and oily, but not watery. This can take anything from 45 to 75 minutes
Check seasoning and stir in cream or crème fraiche, heat slowly and then add the pasta of choice.

Serve with lots of parmesan and little olive oil.