Courgette Pesto Pasta

Courgette pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and lemon. This delicious pasta dish is made using a quick homemade almond and basil pesto. Ready in under 30 minutes this is the perfect midweek dinner.

Courgette Pesto Pasta: Ingredients

To make this pasta, you will need:

• 20g fresh basil leaves
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
• 40g grated Parmesan
• 1 courgette 
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes 
• 180g dried pasta
• 1/2 lemon zest and juice

How to make courgette pesto pasta

Firstly, make the pesto. Add the basil leaves, ground almonds, olive oil, and Parmesan to a food processor and blend until smooth.

Now, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Tip the pasta into the water and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a cupful of pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Tip in the courgettes and fry until soft and starting to turn golden brown. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, reduce the heat, and fry for a further 5 minutes.

Tip in the pesto along with a splash of pasta water and stir until well combined.

Add the pasta and stir until coated in the sauce. Squeeze over the lemon juice and add the zest and mix well. Serve!

Why this is the best courgette pasta

• Homemade pesto: I’ve made a delicious, four ingredient, almond and basil pesto to add to this pasta. Making your own pesto is easy and it tastes so much better fresh!
• Caramelising the courgettes: thinly slicing the courgettes and frying them until soft and browned makes them extra sweet.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: I’ve added sun-dried tomatoes to this pasta dish for an extra rich tomato flavour.

Similar recipes

If you liked this recipe, you might also like these:

• Creamy pesto pasta salad
• Hummus pasta
• Creamy pesto pasta bake

Courgette Pesto Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Courgette pesto pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and lemon. Ready in under 30 minutes this is the perfect midweek meal.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 20g fresh basil leaves
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
• 40g grated vegetarian Parmesan
• 1 courgette sliced in half lengthways and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 10 sun-dried tomatoes sliced
• 180g dried pasta
• 1/2 lemon zest and juice

Method

 

1. Start by making the pesto. Add the basil, almonds, 2 tbsp olive oil, and Parmesan to a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a cupful of pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the courgettes. Fry until starting to brown stirring often, around 5 minutes. Lower the heat slightly and add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to fry for a further 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the pesto along with a splash of pasta water.
5. Add the pasta to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and serve.