Pastados with courgette/zucchini salsa

Posted by petra08 on August 12, 2016 · 19 Comments 

The garden and the allotment are currently overflowing with produce. I am doing my best to cook with squash, beans, courgette/zucchini and the tomatoes have just started to ripen. Still to come but not quite there yet are the chillies. They are abundant and I am hoping this year to get some naga chillies, fingers crossed.

 

After making ravioli the other day I was thinking of what else I would do with pasta. I read a recipe for Mexican toastadas and thought I would use pasta instead and I decided to call them pastados. I was thinking about the toppings, carnitas came to mind first but somehow it seemed too obvious. In the end I did a round of the garden and decided to do a courgette, called zucchini in  the USA, salsa. Anyone who has grown courgettes knows that each plant will generously produce courgettes until you beg for mercy and can’t even think of what to cook with them any more. I have never made salsa before but why not?!

 

This was today’s bounty from the garden

 

 

Courgette salsa pastados

preparation time 10 minutes 

cooking time 0 minutes 

serves 6 as a starter

Ingredients

• 2 pasta rounds/pp
• oil for frying
• 1 small yellow courgette, chopped fine
•  small green courgette, grated
• 4 tomatoes, chopped fine
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 1/2 tbsp lime juice
• chopped parsley
• chopped coriander
• 1/2 tbsp agave nectar or runny honey
• a pinch of sea salt

Start by cooking the pasta rounds. Drain them and set aside until it is almost time to serve.

Mix all of the ingredients for the salsa except the agave nectar and the sea salt. Set aside and let the flavours mingle for a little while. You can easily make this in the morning and leave in the fridge.

Heat oil in a small pan and deep fry the pasta rounds, drain as soon as they are crispy.

Add the agave nectar and sea salt to the salsa, taste and scoop up on to the pastadas and serve. The pasta was crispy and the salsa made it fresh and tangy.

 

 

After finding a “perfect every time” pasta recipe I can’t seem to stop thinking about what to make next, it is great. One of my friends who came for dinner suggested “pasta empanadas” and why not? The pasta machine is a brilliant addition to my kitchen tools and I am determined it wont be a shelf warmer.

 

I am bringing a plateful of these to the lovely Angie’s Fiesta Friday. Come and join us for the most fun foodie party around!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under Allotment/Veg, Chilli, Courgette, Garlic, Herbs, Pasta, Recipe, Side dish, Snack, Spring onion, Starter, Tomatoes, Vegetarian · Tagged with Courgette salsa, fresh pasta, Pastadas, salsa, Zucchini salsa