No more Pesto Pasta: Delicious Alternatives
I love pesto pasta but there’s something about having it every day that makes you want to try something new for a change!
Pasta is essentially a staple in every student household. It goes with everything and is super easy to make when you really can’t be bothered.
So, here are some of my go-to simple recipes:
Tomato and garlic orzo
Serves two
Ingredients -
Lump of butter to fry your ingredients in
Sliced red onions
Chopped cherry/plum tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 pint of vegetable stock
150 grams orzo
Salt and pepper to season
Additional bits:
To make it nice and creamy, add 2 tbsp of Boursin, 50ml cream and grate some parmesan.
Method
Slice your onions and tomatoes, then crush your garlic and add them all to the pan where the butter has melted. Fry them off until the onions are soft, before adding your tomato puree.
Combine the puree for a minute or two and then slowly add your stock – stirring as you go so that the sauce is well-mixed. Chuck in your orzo and allow to cook for as long as the packet says (usually between 7-12 minutes.)
Add your seasoning to taste and if you fancy adding the extras, mix them in a minute before you serve.
Broccoli and sausage penne
Serves three
Ingredients –
6 pack of sausages (I like the caramelised red onion sausages for extra flavour)
Cajun spice
Half a red onion
Six large florets of broccoli (two per person)
Penne pasta
Method
Slice your red onion and set aside. Chop your sausages into bite-sized pieces and then fry in the pan for five minutes until they turn golden brown. Add your onions into the pan and toss until cooked (cut into the sausage to ensure cooked all the way through.)
Meanwhile, place your broccoli florets into a pan of boiling water and cook for three to four minutes, before taking them out and adding them to the frying pan with the sausages and onions.
Cook your penne in the boiling water and stir in cajun spice to the broccoli and sausage mixture whilst you wait for the pasta to finish off. Bit by bit you can add some of the water from the pasta pan to the frying pan to create a light sauce.
Once done, add your pasta to the pan and stir thoroughly before serving.
BLT pasta salad
This is a great one for lunchboxes and if you make it at the start of the week it may last you until Friday!
Serves 6
Ingredients –
4 slices of bacon
Half of a pack of cherry tomatoes
2 handfuls of spinach, chopped
300g pasta (shape of your choice)
2 tbsp of Greek yoghurt
Half of a jar of pesto
Method
Cut up your bacon into little pieces, fry and then allow time to cool. Cook your pasta and also allow to cool.
Meanwhile, you can chop up the rest of your ingredients and spoon out the Greek yoghurt into a mixing jug with the pesto and stir in together, along with the tomatoes and spinach.
Tip the sauce and salad bits into a big bowl, add your pasta and bacon. Mix together, cover the bowl and refrigerate until you wish to eat.
Simply delicious!
