Cheap Eats: Zucchini Pasta for One

by Cat McInnis

This is the best for cooking for one; few ingredients, easy, cheap (so cheap!), somewhat healthy, not that much washing up. I’ll give quantities to feed one, but can just increase for however many you want.

No salt is added to the sauce because the zucchini is already salted to help bring out some of the moisture. Also, timing matters, please pay attention.

Ingredients:

• Spaghetti for one, this is subjective unless you get one of these • 1 medium zucchini (courgette?) • 1 and a 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon butter and a splash of olive oil • 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced (not chopped, sliced) • a pinch of chili flakes • ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (or a mix of parsley and mint if you have it) • 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Fill your biggest pot with lots of water and put it over high heat on the stove with one teaspoon of salt in the water.

Grate the zucchini then lightly salt it. Leave for 5 minutes.

Slice half a clove of garlic into fine slices. Chop parsley and mint. Squeeze excess water from the zucchini with your hands over a bowl or sink. Just squeeze it like Play Doh, don’t worry about getting all the water out.

Once the pasta water is on a rolling boil (has been boiling for more than a few seconds, the water is moving energetically around the pot), put the spaghetti in. Give the spaghetti a quick stir to stop it from sticking.

When spaghetti has cooked for 5 minutes, put the teaspoon of butter and the oil in a fry pan with the garlic over low heat. Cook for 20 seconds, don’t let the garlic brown.

Turn heat up to medium-high and add the zucchini. Fry the zucchini for 1 minute, it shouldn’t brown, in fact, it will continue to look raw. It will actually be juicy and sweet and so great. Turn the heat off, add chili flakes, pepper, crumbled feta, herbs and two teaspoons of the water from the pasta.

Drain the pasta once it is al dente, mix it into the zucchini in the pan.

Eat in bed while watching YouTube videos of David Mitchell talking about food.

Have a cheap an easy recipe you want to share? Send it on over. See more recipes here.

Cat McInnis is a food blogger and a recently-employed publishing assistant-type-person in Melbourne, Australia.

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