Seasonal eating: very courgetty pasta sauce

This is one of my solutions to too many courgettes. You slowly seethe lots of courgettes with a few other ingreditns in olive oil until they are a mush, then toss through pasta for a delicious and very wholesome meal. Although I call this very courgetty pasta sauce, the puree takes on a rich flavour unlike that of fresh courgettes. The dish focuses more on the vegetables than the pasta. The sauce takes a while to cook, but requires minimal supervision. I think I'll make some of this to preserve, to remind me of summer flavours in the depths of winter. Don't be afraid of the large amount of garlic in this dish, as the slow method of cooking mellows the flavour in the same way as roasting.

Very courgetty pasta sauce
(for four, takes up to an hour to cook)

2-3 tbsp olive oil
6-8 medium to large courgettes
1 tsp small capers packed in salt (don't bother to rinse them)
6 cloves garlic
1 large or 2 small chillies
200g baby plum or cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup white wine
1 handful basil leaves, torn
200g long wholewheat pasta, such as spaghetti or fettucine: fresh or dried both work well

Cut the courgettes lengthways and then thinly across into half-circle slices. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frypan over a medium-high heat and add all but one of the courgettes. Fry, stirring occasionaly, until the courgettes brown, soften and start to break up into a mush. This will take 20-30 minutes, depending on your heat. Be careful not to let the courgettes burn, and add more oil if they start to look dry. When the courgettes are starting to soften and break up, add the remaining courgette, garlic and chilli and fry for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives and white wine and continue to cook until the mixture resembles a thick paste (see picture below). Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to directions. When cooked, toss the pasta through the sauce with 1/2 to 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss the basil leaves through and serve immedaitely.

A thick sauce, ready for the pasta.