Summer Squash and Pasta

As so often on a Monday night, cooking dinner is more of a chore than pleasure. So it's got to be something quick without compromising on taste and healthy ingredients. And we've still got an organic summer squash from last week as well as a couple of packets of fresh filled pasta in the fridge.

1 summer squash, roughly the size of a large grapefruit, cut into segments
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to fry for the squash
balsamic glaze
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
a couple of packets of fresh, filled pasta - any flavour will do
salted boiling water
about a dozen fresh sage leaves, cut lengthways into strips
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to infuse with the sage leaves

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the squash segments at a medium to high heat on both sides.

2. Season with pepper and salt. You could serve it now still slighlty raw but hot through and with a bite. Or, put on a lid and keep cooking until the squash is tender. Whichever you prefer, drizzle with a little balsamic glaze before serving.

3. Boil the pasta in salted water according to instructions. Most fresh pasta only takes a couple of minutes.

4. Meanwhile heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the sage leaves. Stir for a minute at a low heat.

5. Drain the pasta, return to the saucepan and carefully mix in the sage and olive oil. If the pasta is quite rich, the sage will help make it seem less heavy.

Arrange on warmed plates and serve immediately. This is lovely with a fresh leafy salad.



Variation:
If using other fresh pasta or dried, such as tagliatelle, rigatoni, etc., you could use a little butter to cook the sage in instead of olive oil. In Bologna, they even serve tortelloni with butter and sage and it's delicious.