Quick and easy pasta dishes
One of the best things about pasta is that it's as quick to make as it is delicious. Here are some of our favourite quick pasta recipes that can be made in less than 30 minutes. With recipes including pesto pasta with a tasty twist by swapping half the basil in a traditional pesto for rocket to give this pasta dish a sharp peppery flavour. Prefer a creamy carbonara? Try our healthier version of fettuccine with creamy cauliflower, peas and bacon crumble using cauliflower and parmesan to create a light creamy pasta sauce. Or make 'rag pasta' in our French rag pasta bourguignon. Rag pasta involves simply tearing fresh lasagne sheets into rag-like pieces. The fact this pasta is made from fresh lasagne sheets means it only takes 2 minutes to cook making your pasta dish even quicker to make!
Quick and easy pasta sauce recipes
We've got ideas for sauces that come together in the time it takes the pasta to cook. Each sauce tossed through 600g of cooked (300g dried) pasta will serve 4.
1. Cream-free Alfredo
Puree 250g silken tofu with ½ cup skim milk in a blender. Heat in a non-stick frying pan until bubbling. Add 2 tbs grated parmesan cheese, grated nutmeg and ground black pepper.
2. Rocket and Italian sausage
Remove the casings from 250g extra lean Italian-pork sausage; crumble the meat into a nonstick frying pan and sauté with one finely sliced onion until browned. Add 2 cups packed rocket leaves, ¼ cup salt-reduced chicken stock, salt and ground black pepper. Cover until rocket is wilted.
3. Tomatoes and mussels
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tsp olive oil. Add 1 small chopped onion and 2 sliced cloves garlic until softened. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and ½ tsp fennel seeds; cook until the tomato begins to break down. Add 1 kg of mussels (in their shells), chopped fresh basil, salt and ground black pepper. Cover and simmer until the mussels open.
4. Ham, peas and white wine
In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tsp olive oil. Add 2 chopped shallots, and cook until lightly browned. Add 185g chopped lean ham and 1½ cups fresh peas. Cook for 1 minute, then add ⅓ cup white wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 2 tbs grated parmesan cheese before serving.
5. Zucchini, lemon and tuna
Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add 1 finely sliced onion, 2 cloves garlic and 2 sliced zucchini. Cook until golden. Remove from heat. Add 1 medium can drained tuna in spring water with 1 cup chopped parsley and 2 tsp rinsed baby capers. Squeeze with a little lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.