Pea and Courgette Pasta with Creamy Ricotta

• 350gfusilli
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2medium courgettes, coarsely grated
• 2garlic cloves, finely grated
• 300gfrozen peas
• 250gricotta
• 30mllemon juice
• 2gfinely grated lemon zest
• 40gvegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
• 15gbasil leaves, torn into small irregular pieces
• fine salt
• black pepper

Method

1. 1Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Cook the fusilli for 10 minutes until just tender with a little bite, adding the peas for the final 3 minutes until bright green and hot through.
2. 2Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the grated courgette and a pinch of salt, then cook for 5 minutes until softened and no longer watery.
3. 3Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. 4Scoop out 250ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain the fusilli and peas. Do not rinse them.
5. 5Add the pasta, peas, ricotta, lemon zest, half the lemon juice and 150ml of the cooking water to the frying pan. Toss for 2 minutes until the ricotta turns glossy and coats every twist of pasta.
6. 6Stir through the vegetarian hard cheese and basil. Add a splash more cooking water if needed, until the sauce is loose enough to cling rather than sit in clumps.
7. 7Taste and season with black pepper, salt if needed, and the remaining lemon juice. Keep it mild for children, with extra black pepper offered at the table.

Per serving

kcal

565

protein

22.8g

fibre

7.7g

carbs

80g

fat

16.9g