Minty courgette pasta sauce

It’s well and truly time for another pasta sauce recipe, and I love one that you can make in about the same time as the pasta takes to cook!

The flavours for this sauce were inspired by my herby courgette pasta salad. There’s something very fresh about mint and courgette, and the basil gives a deeper flavour so the mint isn’t too sweet. And the yogurt brings it all together, ready to be mixed through some lovely pasta.

It’s perfect for every member of your family. Babies can have the sauce and pasta pureed together, or have the sauce over baby pasta. Adults will probably want a bit more seasoning than toddlers. Here’s to cooking one meal for everyone!

MINTY COURGETTE PASTA SAUCE

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Makes 1 toddler and 1 adult portion

1 medium courgette (zucchini), grated and the excess water squeezed out
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
7 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
2 large fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper (optional)

In a medium-sized frying pan, heat the oil and butter over a medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the grated courgette (seasoning if using) and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the mint and basil, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Take the courgette mix off the heat and stir through the yogurt.

Serve over cooked pasta.

For babies, purée the sauce and pasta together until smooth, or serve the sauce over baby pasta.

Variations:

• For toddlers and adults, add some garlic as you’re cooking the courgette (1/2 clove of crushed garlic or a sprinkle of garlic granules)
• Finely dice the courgette rather than grate it for a chunkier sauce
• Use double (thickened) cream instead of yogurt
• Add a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts just before serving

Tip: if you want to freeze this sauce, don’t add the yogurt. After defrosting the sauce, add fresh yogurt once you’ve heated it.

Do you have any recipes that are perfect for the whole family?