Having made too much parmesan cream for mortadella sandwiches the other week, the rest was carried over from one column to the next, and a recipe for pasta with courgettes and almonds was improved significantly by two large tablespoons of the soft cheese and parmesan beaten into a soft-savoury cream with the texture (but not taste) of toothpaste!

This recipe is also one that welcomes courgettes back to the northern hemisphere – not that they ever went away, now that everything is available all the time. The season proper, though, is something to celebrate as more and more courgettes appear in the gardens of those fortunate enough to grow them (flowers blazing), on market stalls and shop shelves, and in veg boxes. So much so that, at a certain point, it will all get too much and gardeners will start talking about gluts, cooks will threaten chutney and food magazines provide 101 ideas. But I am jumping ahead.

A variety I look forward to very much is the pale green and white speckled romanesco, which is ribbed like a corinthian column and with a flower like a flame, and whose dense, creamy flesh has little water to lose, making it ideal for boiling and sauteeing – in fact, sometimes romanesco require additional water to keep them moist. Warm-yellow gold rush is another variety I look out for, because its buttery flesh with notes of pumpkin is sweet and savoury. Being most familiar with romanesco, it pays to remind myself that gold rush, like most smooth-skinned, dark and pale green varieties, generally holds more water, so when cooking I make sure to allow the excess water to evaporate before moving on to the next stage.

You can use most soft cheeses for this recipe – cream cheese, mild goat’s cheese, robiola, even double cream. I have suggested that, for every two tablespoons of cream cheese, you add three of finely grated parmesan, but taste as you go and adjust as you see fit. I add lots of black pepper, too; lemon zest is also good, as is a pinch of dried oregano or finely minced parsley. This recipe is another in which it pays to finish cooking the pasta with the sauce (ie, the courgette and parmesan cream), adding some of the starchy pasta cooking water to loosen and then allowing the now starchy sauce to reduce and cling to the the pasta. And remember, you can always throw in another handful of grated parmesan at the end to thicken it further.

Orecchiette with courgettes, parmesan cream and almonds

Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4

Salt and black pepper
3 large courgettes
450g orecchiette, or other small caved-in pasta
2 tbsp cream cheese, or robiolaor double cream
3 tbsp finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 garlic clove, peeled and bashed
5 tbsp olive oil
1 handful flaked almonds, lightly toasted

Bring a large pan of water to a boil for the pasta. Top and tail the courgettes, then finely dice (about 3mm x 3 mm), so they’ll sit in the ears of pasta later.

Add salt to the boiling water, stir, then add the pasta and set a timer according to the instructions on the packet.

In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, parmesan and black pepper to make a paste.

In a frying pan or wok large enough to accommodate the pasta later, on a medium-low heat, gently fry the courgette and bashed garlic clove in the olive oil – the aim is to soften rather than brown the veg, so if need be ladle in some of the pasta cooking water to keep it all moist (but not watery).

Turn off the heat while you wait for the pasta. When the pasta is a minute from being done, return the courgette pan to the heat and stir in the cream cheese mixture.

Once the pasta is al dente, use either a spider sieve or slotted spoon to lift it directly into the courgette pan (alternatively, drain it, then add). Toss vigorously, so all the elements come together – if it seems at all watery, keep cooking and tossing until the sauce thickens.

Divide between bowls, top each serving with a few flaked almonds and serve with more grated parmesan for those who want it.