This is a super quick and easy student pasta recipe, using just pesto and the pasta cooking water to make a yummy pasta sauce!
Pasta verde, green pasta, I wonder how I came up with such a creative name for this dish? Courgette, peas, green pesto… Nope, no idea.
This is a great student pasta recipe, as it is perfect for when you are cooking for 1, it is really quick and easy to make (15 minutes tops!!!), it´s budget-friendly and it comes with the added bonus of being healthy. Plus, the recipe only requires a fresh courgette, everything else should already be among your student store cupboard essentials!
5 ingredients are all you need to make this dish and it is perfect for also using up any other leftovers you may have! See the recipe tips below for more info on that.
To make this student pasta recipe, simply put on the pasta to boil whilst you prepare the rest. Fry the veg, add in a dollop of pesto and some of the cooking water and that´s pretty much it! Your sauce is then ready to have the pasta mixed into it and be served.
And there you have it – Pasta Verde, made with minimal effort in just under 15 minutes!
If you are looking for more student cooking recipes, why not try this yummy rice and vegetable stir-fry, my vegan mixed bean chilli or one of my quick 5-minute breakfasts?
RECIPE TIP:
This is the perfect pasta dish to use up vegetables you have in the fridge, so if there are any bits of pepper, aubergine, spring onions, leak, etc., just through them into this sauce!
You could also make this dish non-veggie by frying some chicken or bacon lardons to stir into the sauce as well.
Pasta Verde – Easy, 5 Ingredient Student Pasta Recipe
Recipe
Ingredients (serves 1):
- 75g pasta
- 1 courgette, sliced and quartered
- 65g frozen peas
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 30g (1 large tbsp) green pesto
- Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)
Method:
- Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Salt the water before cooking the pasta according to packet instructions. 3 mins before the pasta is finished, add the frozen peas to the water.
- In the meantime, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes. Then add in the courgette and cook for a few minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Season the mixture with a little salt and pepper.
- Add in a large tablespoon of green pesto, alongside 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
- Drain the pasta and peas in a colander and immediately tip into the frying pan in which the veg and sauce are cooking. Mix well until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce.
- If you like, you can sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the dish to serve.
