Get a griddle pan or grill hot. Cut a couple of large courgettes into 1cm thick slices, then cook them until they have softened and darkened in patches.
While they are cooking, crush 2 or 3 fat, juicy cloves of garlic and put them in a large mixing bowl with the juice of 1 large lemon and 4 tbsp of olive oil. As soon as each piece of courgette is ready, remove it from the heat and lower it into the dressing, pushing it under the surface, and set aside to marinate.
Bring a large, deep pan of water to the boil, salt it generously then add 150g of tagliatelle. Toast 50g of pine kernels in a dry pan until pale gold. Tear up 10g of basil leaves and add them, with the pine kernels, to the dressing.
Drain the pasta as soon as it is toothsome, then toss with the courgettes and their dressing.
If you grill the courgettes dry rather than coated in oil, there is less smoke to contend with. They plump up rather nicely in the olive oil and lemon dressing. You can leave them overnight to really soak into the marinade if you wish, leaving you only the pasta and pine kernels to cook at the last minute.
Aubergines are a good substitute for the courgettes. Slice them thinly into rounds or long, thin slices no thicker than a one pound coin. You can introduce other herbs to the marinade – mint and coriander would certainly work well, but also oregano, a herb I am constantly seeking a use for something other than in pizza.
Some crumbled feta cheese added with the nuts would be a thoroughly good thing.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@NigelSlater
