Courgettes are easy to grow and for much of the year inexpensive to buy. They are an extraordinarily versatile vegetable and keep well in the fridge.

And because they grow so quickly, I often pick them as I pass through the garden, simply to stop them turning from a tasty little treat to something from which you can fashion a boat.

Slipped into a pocket they can easily be forgotten, turning up days later as withered remnants — especially by those of us who are approaching the withered remnant stage ourselves.

You can imagine, then, how pleased I was a couple of years ago to come across a book called What will I do with all those Courgettes? (Fidelio Press, 2006).

It contains more than 150 recipes. I have made one small change to this recipe, adding freshly ground black pepper, which I regard as essential, perhaps because I have to avoid salt for health reasons.

Also, although I did use fresh tomatoes, as the recipe states, I’m sure this would work well with tinned (two standard cans).

Ingredients

• 8oz/225g pasta shells
• 2 med onions, sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 red peppers, cut into strips
• 4 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra for topping
• 2 aubergines, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp thyme
• 6 small courgettes, sliced
• 12 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 6oz/175g cheese, grated
• 14oz/400g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

What to do

First, cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the pack. When they’re cooked, drain and set aside.

Fry the onion, garlic and peppers in the oil in a large oven-proof casserole. (Don’t let them brown.)

Add aubergines, bay leaves, salt and herbs. Stir well. Now add the courgettes, tomatoes and tomato purée. Turn on the oven to pre-heat to 350°F/180°C/mark 4. Mix the cooked pasta shells into the veg and stir well. Finally, make a “gratin” topping by combining cheese and breadcrumbs, moistened with a little olive oil.

Remove the veg from heat and spread the mixture over the top.

Bake for 50 minutes.