Recipes : Courgette & tomato linguine

This sauce is based on the classic Italian bacon and tomato sauce, amatriciana - but it's great without the bacon for veggies, too

gredients

2 tbsp olive oil , plus extra to serve
140g cubed pancetta or diced smoked streaky bacon
300g baby courgettes , thickly sliced on the diagonal, or 3 medium courgettes, cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
pinch dried chilli flakes
pinch caster sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 x 400g cans good-quality plum tomatoes
400g linguine
handful flat-leaf parsley , chopped

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the pancetta or bacon until crisp, add the courgettes, then sizzle for 4 mins until golden. Add the garlic and chilli to the courgettes, cook for 1 min, then sprinkle with sugar and splash in the vinegar. Tip over the canned tomatoes, turn up the heat, season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 10 mins.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the linguine, then drain. Toss the pasta through the sauce, then scatter with parsley and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

INDIAN COURGETTE SALAD

Coarsely grate 2 large courgettes and 1 large carrot, then, toss with 1 small chopped red onion, 4 tbsp olive oil, juice ½ lemon, handful roughly chopped coriander and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Season with salt and pepper and serve straight away as a cooling accompaniment to curry.