The courgette descends from squashes first domesticated in Mesoamerica over 7,000 years ago and introduced to the ‘Old World’s’ cuisine after Columbus’ voyage in 1492. It was developed in Italy in the latter half of the 1800s and reintroduced back in the US by Italian immigrants in the 1920s. Botanically it is a fruit but for cooking and eating purposes it is treated like a vegetable.

Courgetti, known as zucchini noodles (zoodles) in the US, arrived in 2014, conquered and left faster than a rat out of an aqueduct. No idea why as it is not only healthier than pasta but gluten free and low carb. Sadly spiralizers have been relegated to the bottom shelves of charity shops nowadays, unloved and unwanted.

This underrated vege goes well with a simple sauce made from red pesto and crème fraiche. Crème Fraîche is fresh milk that is left to settle overnight allowing the cream to rise to the top and then collected for making butter. The naturally occurring lactose-fermenting bacteria thicken and acidify the cream leaving it with a fat content around 30% making it an excellent base for a sauce as it doesn’t split.

Topping the courgetti is European seabass (branzino). In the US seabass was never a popular fish as it is actually Patagonian toothfish. A bright fish wholesaler, Lee Lantz, changed its rather unappetising name in 1977 and by the 1990s this once obscure fish had become a culinary celebrity. It's delicious and perfect in this Med-vibe dish that is ready in minutes.