Courgette Noodles with Grilled Peperonata Sauce

A brilliant lighter take on pasta night that doesn't feel like a compromise. Courgette noodles (zoodles, if you like) are topped with a rich, smoky peperonata sauce built from grilled peppers, Italian sausage, and sweet tomatoes. It's colourful, satisfying, and comes together quickly on your gas grill's side burner or plancha. A great one to have in your outdoor cooking rotation.

Ingredients

• 4 medium courgettes
• 2 peppers (1 red, 1 yellow), grilled and diced
• 450g Italian-style pork sausages, skins removed
• 400g diced tomatoes (fresh or tinned)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Olive oil, for cooking
• Ricotta, burrata, or Parmesan, to serve

Method

1. Spiralize the courgettes to create noodles and set aside. If you don't have a spiralizer, a vegetable peeler will give you wide ribbons that work just as well.
2. Place your peppers directly on the grill grates over a medium-high flame. Turn occasionally until the skins are charred and blistered all over — about 10–12 minutes. Pop them into a bowl, cover with cling film, and leave for 5 minutes. Peel, deseed, and dice them up.
3. Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan on your side burner over a medium heat. Squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skins and add it to the pan. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until nicely browned all over.
4. Add the diced grilled peppers, garlic, and oregano. Stir everything together and cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
5. Tip in the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer. Let the sauce bubble away for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the flavours come together. Season well with salt and black pepper.
6. While the sauce finishes, cook your courgette noodles. Heat a splash of olive oil on your plancha or in a second frying pan over a medium heat. Add the noodles in small nests and cook for 2–3 minutes — you want them just tender but still with a little bite. Don't overcook them or they'll go watery.
7. Plate the courgette noodles and spoon the sausage and peperonata sauce generously on top. Finish with a dollop of ricotta, torn burrata, or a good grating of Parmesan.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.