Courgette rigatoni with crispy halloumi
Enjoy a silky smooth pasta sauce made with courgette and lemon, all topped with cubes of fried halloumi. A quick and comforting midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 750g/1lb 10oz courgettes (about 4–5), trimmed and coarsely grated
- ¼ –½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 350g/12oz rigatoni pasta
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú halloumi
- 1 tbsp honey
- few sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked and thinly sliced
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place a large frying pan over a medium–low heat and add 4 tablespoons of olive oil along with the garlic. Fry for a minute or so, until the garlic starts to turn a little golden, then add the grated courgette and dried chilli flakes.
Season generously with salt and pepper and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the courgettes have cooked down, collapsed and become almost creamy. Finely grate in 50g/1¾oz of the halloumi and add the lemon juice. Give it all a stir.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni according to packet instructions.
When the pasta is almost ready, cut the remaining 100g/3½oz of halloumi into small cubes (about 5mm–1cm/¼–½in). Place a frying pan over a medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil then add the halloumi in a single layer and fry for 3–5 minutes until golden all over. Finish by drizzling with the honey.
Once the pasta is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the rigatoni into the cooked courgettes, along with a few ladlefuls of the pasta water. Keep stirring to combine, adding enough pasta water to make it silky smooth.
When it's ready, stir through the golden halloumi and sliced mint leaves and serve with a good grating of black pepper.