Spaghetti with Courgettes & Breadcrumbs

A light Friday night supper.  It’s unusual but most important, very easy to make. The boy, who only ever had spaghetti with Bolognese when he was growing up, will be impressed.

400g spaghetti

90ml olive oil

100g fresh breadcrumbs

8 small or baby courgettes cut into julienne strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Small courgettes are easy to julienne so I’m using a vegetable knife, rather than the mandolin.  Most bakers sell bags of fresh breadcrumbs but just grate some stale bread, rather than paying for it.

I love cooking with music. I saw Rokia Traore at the Barbican last night and have her latest CD on. Like many musicians from Mali, her music is hypnotic and trance-like -  perfect for chilled out Friday night cooking.

Cook the spaghetti, drain and put it back in the pan to keep warm. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and when hot, fry the breadcrumbs for 3-4 minutes. Once they are lightly brown, set aside.

Pop the rest of the oil in the pan and stir fry the courgettes for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chillies and give it another 4 minutes or so, stirring quite often.

Add the spaghetti and breadcrumbs to the frying pan and toss everything really well so it’s all mixed up. Plate it up and sprinkle with parmesan.

The boy wants to watch a DVD so we’re having this on our laps with a cold glass of sauvignon blanc. Possibly more than one.