I'm a great believer in children eating the same food as the adults at supper time. (Being a busy, working mum I also happen to think life's far too short to spend your evenings cooking twice - once for the kids and again for the grown ups!) and this recipe never fails to be a winner with both the big and the little members of the family! O.K, so it's not ‛carbonara' in the true Italian sense of the word but you'll love it just as much and because it's made with courgettes and half fat cr√®me fraiche and cheese instead of egg yolks and double cream it's far healthier too!

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 12-14 minutes

2 tbsp sunflower oil
300g courgette, trimmed, washed and sliced (Most of the nutrients in a courgette lie in the skin so take care not to peel them when making this sauce).
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed (more if you and your family love garlic)
150ml vegetable or chicken stock
150ml milk
3 tbsp half fat crème fraîche
100g light cream cheese
100g of smoked pancetta, finely diced (smoke ham or bacon will do if you can't get hold of pancetta)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
500g fresh spaghetti
Freshly grated parmesan to serve.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the courgettes and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook gently for 10 minutes or until soft. Stir occasionally during cooking.

Add the milk, crème fraîche and cheese and heat through until the cheese has melted. Cool slightly then blend in a food processor until smooth. Add black pepper to taste and set aside.

Boil a large pan of water and add the fresh pasta. Cook as per instructions (Usually for 3 - 4 minutes).

Meanwhile a desert spoon of oil to a large frying pan and sauté the diced pancetta until crispy. Drain the pasta and add to the pan then pour over the courgette sauce. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until piping hot. Serve in bowls topped with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan and chunks of garlic bread if desired.

Variation: For a vegetarian version simply leave out the pancetta.