With his book Lose Weight For Good, Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge provides recipes for food-lovers, who have chosen a low-calorie diet as their route to weight loss. This quick courgetti recipe is both tasty and speedy
“A simple, fresh and filling take on the classic Italian pasta and pesto combination. Don’t be afraid of the spiralizer – it’s a versatile, easy-to-use bit of kit. You’ll love it, I promise, and soon you’ll be spiralizing all sorts of veg" says Tom of this recipe taken from his book, Lose Weight for Good: Full-flavour Cooking For a Low-Calorie Diet.
Serves 2
245 Kcal per serving
Ingredients
180g cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive oil spray
1 tsp dried oregano
500g courgettes, spiralized
2 tbsp light single cream alternative
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the spinach and basil pesto
150g baby spinach
30g basil leaves
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh vegetable stock or water
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
To finish
10g pine nuts
A small handful of basil leaves, shredded
2 tsp grated Parmesan
Method
1. Preheat the oven to fan 140°C/gas 1. Line an oven tray with baking parchment.
2. Place the cherry tomatoes, cut side up, on the prepared tray and spray 10 times with oil. Sprinkle each tomato with a little oregano, salt and pepper. Cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 1¼ hours, then set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, for the pesto, put all the ingredients into a jug blender or food processor, add some salt and pepper and blitz until smooth.
4. Toast the pine nuts for the garnish in a small, dry pan for 30 seconds, then tip onto a plate and set aside.
5. Put the spiralized courgettes into a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Mix well with your hands, then leave to stand and wilt for 20 minutes. Drain in a colander, patting the courgette firmly with kitchen paper to remove all excess water and salt.
6. Tip the spiralized courgettes into a large pan and add the pesto and ‘cream’. Stir well to coat with the sauce and cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then fold through the roasted tomatoes.
7. Divide the courgetti between warmed serving bowls and sprinkle with the shredded basil, Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.
Extract taken from Lose Weight for Good by Tom Kerridge (Absolute, £22) out now. Photography © Cristian Barnett.