Hello and welcome to the latest episode of Single Mum Cooks.

I need to stop saying that.  I sound like The Two Ronnies doing a sketch where they wear matching glasses and say goodnight from each other.

Anyway, today I am talking about courgettes.

Now I like a courgette; however, clearly so do the other members of the household as they keep multiplying all over our kitchen.  Literally, every time I open the fridge door there are more and more courgettes.  It’s like every night after dark new courgettes grow, until they are bursting out of the vegetable drawer.  Needless to say, if one is to keep on top of the rapidly replenishing courgettes, those bad boys need to be eaten.  And so to one of my favourite recipes: Cheesy Courgette Pasta.

This recipe was inspired by one in my Simon Rimmer vegetarian cookbook, but his involved FOUR cheeses.  Now I don’t know about you, but though I like cheese, I don’t like it enough to polish off four packs of various different Italian cheeses before they all go off, which when we are talking about the likes of dolcelatte and gorgonzola, is quickly.  I am cooking for one and a half here Simon, and the half won’t even eat cheese.  So without further ado, here is my version, quantity-free of course.  This isn’t Bake Off.   Oh, and it involves philadelphia, peeps.  Surely the King and Queen of cheeses.

Ingredients 

1. Spaghetti (if I remember correctly, Simon’s recipe used penne, but spaghetti is my pasta of choice, so spaghetti it is)
2. Garlic
3. Courgettes, chopped
4. Olive oil (for frying)
5. Blue cheese (I used a deliciously creamy English blue cheese from the Co-Op, but any blue cheese will do)
6. Tub of philadelphia (I didn’t use the whole tub.  I’m not a philistine.  Obviously had to keep some for dipping breadsticks in as a midnight snack)
7. Grated cheddar cheese, for sprinkling.
8. Pine nuts

Method

1. Cook your spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
2. Dry fry some pine nuts in a frying pan until browned.
3. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and fry the chopped garlic and courgettes until lightly browned.
4. Reduce the heat, and add your philadelphia.  Stir gently, and then quickly add the crumbled or chopped blue cheese, stirring continually until melted.  If the sauce is too thick, you can add a dash of milk.
5. When the cheese is melted and the sauce is warmed through, mix with the drained spaghetti and serve sprinkled with grated cheese (Parmesan unnecessary when you have cheddar, in my humble opinion.  Feel free to disapprove, all ye purists) and the toasted pine nuts.

So there we have it, a comforting cheesy pasta dish for your toddler to refuse to eat, and for you to enjoy with a large dose of garlic bread (which your toddler will steal) and a nice glass of white wine.  Always a must with pasta.  And most other things really.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also enjoy this one.

And if you didn’t, then I apologise.