Spring "Bolognese"

Want to eat vegetables without knowing you're doing that? This is it!!! It's my spring/summer edition of the Bolognese (but nothing to do with the same flavour though, this one is so much more fresh and light you wouldn't believe!).

I think that short shaped pasta is better for this: penne, fusilli, or maccheroni should do it.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium courgettes ("zucchini")

• 5-7 (or 8 if small!) fresh tomatoes

• 500gr minced beef (lean, max 10% fat) - omit if you want a veg version of course

• 5 medium/big cloves of garlic (minced or chopped)

• 3 good slugs of olive oil

• 1 (or more!) tsp of dry chilli flakes

• 1 tsp of fine salt

• 1 (or 2 if fresh) Tbsp of basil

• 20gr of butter (entirely optional)

• 30gr of grated parmesan (totally not optional!)

Method:

• Wash and chop the vegetables - keep them at the ready

• Put the garlic, olive oil and dry chilli in a biggish pan (I use a big wok) at a high heat

• As soon as the garlic browns (1-3 mins) add the minced beef

• Use a flat head wooden spatula and break the minced beef quite well, stirring. You don't want any clumps, so keep going

• Once the beef is really all grainy, then lower the heat to medium

• Stir often, and wait (2-3mins) until all the liquid gets reabsorbed

• Add the vegetables

• Add the basil and the salt and stir quite well, keep the heat to medium

• Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and let it simmer - if it bubbles too much lower the heat until the bubbles are gentle

• Now let it cook until the courgettes are nice and soft, really "pulpy" (is it a term?!) - it would be some 20-25 mins or longer

• At this stage, take off the lid and raise the heat to high

• Now watch it: stir it often as you want most of the liquid gone, but you don't want it burning nor sticking, so keep an eye on it

• Heat up your water for the pasta at this stage

• Once ready (and pasta drained) mix it well and add (if you want - I know it's a sin but oh boy it's so much nicer) the butter

• Serve with your parmesan on top