This rich courgette pesto pasta is the perfect way to use a glut of courgettes. The sauce is made by blending roasted courgette with fresh basil. It creates a wonderfully savoury and smooth pesto that’s both healthy and delicious.

No vegetable epitomises early summer like the humble courgette. Every year around June-July, gardens start to explode with these bulbous vegetables. A single plant is quite prolific in the output it can produce.

Excitement at the new produce quickly turns to dread when the mountains of courgette start piling up in the kitchen larder. If one is not careful, you’ll fast become overwhelmed by the quantities of summer squash in your seasonal dishes.

I have developed a remedy to this yearly conundrum, my courgette pesto pasta. This speedy and delicious vegan pasta dish uses up not one, not two, but six good-sized courgettes. This recipe is a lifesaver for using up past their best squash that can line the back of my fridge.

The sauce made by the courgette is wonderfully rich and savoury. You’ll be amazed at how creamy the pesto comes out and how few fats and oils it uses. It’s the perfect sauce for those looking for a lighter pesto that has fewer calories than usual.

However, don’t let this courgette pasta’s nutritional properties fool you. It doesn’t sacrifice any flavour. I’ve paired this pasta with a blend of tart roasted cherry tomatoes. The acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes against the courgette help cut through the rich sauce and balance the flavours. In other words - it tastes great!

So here’s me hoping this dish helps you with the age-old culinary dilemma - what should I do with all these courgettes? Now you have the answer, make pasta. Or is that the answer to just about everything?

If you like this courgette pasta you’ll love

• Spinach pesto pasta with crispy breadcrumbs- Creamy lemon and broccoli pasta- Sun dried tomato and aubergine pasta