Perfect vegetarian courgettes pasta dish that turns to a meat lover’s with some fine greek country sausages!

Vegetarian pasta with courgettes and spearmint. Turn it easily to a meat lover’s dish with extra delicious country sausages.

Vegetarian pasta with courgettes and spearmint

Using a mandolin (a special kitchen tool that slices and juliennes vegetables and fruits) or a very sharp knife, cut 6 small courgettes into very thin ‘matchsticks’ or slices.

Heat a non-stick frying pan on a low- medium heat and roast some pine nuts for 2-3 minutes. (WARNING: they brown quickly so keep shaking the pan and don’t leave it unattended, they may burn and turn black and bitter in a second!)

Chop a bunch of spearmint, half a bunch of parsley and 3-4 spring onions including some of their green part too.

Boil the pasta of your choice al dente and reserve a large cup of its cooking liquid. (Especially well-suited to this dish are fettuccine, spaghettini, pappardelle and – why not? – thick pasticcio pasta.)

Sauté the courgettes and spring onions in a large frying pan over a high heat with a little olive oil.

Strain the pasta, return to the hot saucepan, and stir in a cup of white creamy cheese such as katiki Domokou or fresh sour mizithra.

Add the sautéed courgettes and stir gently adding a little of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if it looks a little dry.

Add a little lemon zest, freshly ground pepper and some spicy grated cheese, such as Pecorino from Amphilochia, and serve immediately.

Want to add country sausages for a meat lover’s variation?

Here is how to:

Thinly slice the sausages.

Fry the slices in a non-stick frying pan (without adding extra fat) over a high heat until the sausages start to take on a golden brown colour. Pour a little white wine or tsikoudia over them and leave the sausages in the frying pan.

Garnish the pasta dish with the sausages and, if some white wine sauce has remained (from the sausages), spoon a little over each plate.

This pasta dish must be served immediately.