This is the delicious comfort food you need in your life! Great for a quick pasta dinner! No guilt here!
Courgette or Zucchini?
Until very recently, I did not know the difference between a marrow, zucchini or courgette. I have always eaten courgettes fairly regularly. I always thought that zucchini was just the American name for it (just like Americans call aubergines eggplant). But the internet proved me wrong! It turns out that there is some debate over this on the internet! Many sources that I read claimed that courgettes and zucchini are the same but have different names depending upon which country you are in. The United States, Canada and Australia tend to use zucchini, while places such as the United Kingdom and France tend to call it a courgette. Just to make matters more confusing, the South African’s call the courgette (or zucchini!) a ‘baby marrow’. The word zucchini comes from the Italian word ‘zucchino’ which translates to ‘tiny squash.’ Courgette means the same thing only in French.
However, some sources I read argue that the industry uses a standardised terminology. When farmers harvest the plant while it is younger and smaller, approximately the 14 by 4 cm, they call it a courgette. Whereas, it is regarded a zucchini when it is older and larger, when it reaches about 15 – 20 cm.
Continued..
I am inclined to believe the former as when I buy courgettes from my local supermarket, they tend to be longer than 15cm and the supermarket labels them as courgettes not zucchini. Another interesting fact I learned while researching courgettes / zucchini is that they can reach up to 1 metre long! Also, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first mention of zucchini dates back to 1929. Courgettes only seem to appear in 1931. So in this case, it may be possible that is us Brits who use the wrong name!
While the debate over whether or not zucchini and courgettes wages on, one thing the internet seems to agree on is that a marrow is the same plant. When the plant is semi mature and has reached full size, it is called a marrow. Whether it is a marrow, a zucchini or a courgette, they are all related to the summer squash. These can be either green or yellow.
Botanically, it is a fruit however it is often treated as a vegetable in the same way that tomatoes and bell peppers are. But does it really matter? It’s delicious, healthy food and that’s all I really need to know!
More great meals:
If you decide to make this delicious pasta recipe, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of this page letting me know what you think! Why not take a snap and tag me in it on Instagram? @thesliceofjess
*Calorific value may change depending on brand of food used*
Details
1 serving
10 minutes
20 minutes
532
Print
Ingredients
75g Pasta – any shape
100g Courgette
1/4 Green Bell Pepper
1/4 Red Bell Pepper
1/4 Yellow Bell Pepper
4 Light cheese triangles
30ml Skimmed milk
Handful of spinach
500ml Vegetable stock
Salt & pepper
1tsp Paprika
1tsp Mustard powder
Directions
- Boil the pasta in the vegetable stock for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the courgette and peppers and cook these in a separate pan until soft. Season with paprika.
- Once the pasta is cooked, save a serving spoon of the vegetable stock and drain the rest.
- Add your cheese triangles and mustard powder in with the pasta, along with the vegetable stock and a splash of oat milk. Mix until melted and it forms a cheese sauce.
- Mix in the courgette and pepper to the cheesy pasta. Add in the spinach and mix until it has started to wilt.
- Season with salt & pepper and serve!
Last updated: 4th November 2021
