Yellow tomato, basil and courgette pasta recipe by Flora Shedden

This recipe is a brilliant quick midweek dish that feels a little more special than your usual one pot wonder. I cook mine in an airfryer as I find it helps intensify the tomato flavour but if you don't have one, you can simply pop the pasta in a fan oven set to 180C and cook in the same way (lid off). You may find it requires slightly longer to cook and reduce down, but remember to stir regularly.

Serves 2 hungry people

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 35-40 minutes

Ingredients

150g pasta (I use Northern Pasta conchiglie as I love cooking with spelt pasta. Any of your favourite shell will work here though so long as it does not have too long a recommended cooking time)

250g yellow and orange tomatoes (I use a mix of heritage tomatoes, yellow cherry ones and larger orange tomatoes from the vine)

150g courgette, roughly 1 small one

15g basil leaves 

2 cloves of garlic

30g extra virgin olive oil

500g boiling stock

Salt and pepper

2 anchovies

100g bread (I used sourdough)

15g basil

15g extra virgin olive oil

125g ricotta

Zest of 1/4 lemon

1 tbsp boiling water

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Roughly chop up the tomatoes and place in a medium cast iron (oven proof) pan. Coarsely grate the courgette and add to the pan alongside the pasta.

Roughly chop the basil leaves then finely slice the basil stalks and the garlic. Add to the pan with the oil and boiling stock. Season lightly then stir everything together to combine. 

Place in the drawer of an airfryer and cook for 25-30 minutes at 200C. You want to open the drawer and stir every 8-10 minutes to stop the top from catching.

Whilst the pasta is cooking, place the anchovies, bread, basil, oil and a little seasoning into the bowl of a food processor. Blitz on a high speed until even breadcrumbs form. Tip onto a small oven proof tray. 

Once the pasta is cooked, stir well then remove from the airfryer and set aside somewhere warm.  Place the breadcrumbs into the airfryer. Cook at 200C for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway, or until golden and crisp.

Just before everything is ready, mix together the ricotta, lemon zest, water and oil together in a bowl to form a smooth sauce. 

To serve, spoon the pasta onto plates then top with a good spoonful of the ricotta and finish with plenty of breadcrumbs. You can garnish with some fresh basil or parmesan if you like also.