Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta

Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta

Peppery summer watercress is a brilliant partner for silky, soft courgettes in this easy sausage pasta dish. The vibrant lemony pesto is a hundred times better than anything you’ll find in a jar.

Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta

Sausage pasta is a midweek hero! Discover easy sausage pasta recipes for all seasons.

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 30 min

Peppery summer watercress is a brilliant partner for silky, soft courgettes in this easy sausage pasta dish. The vibrant lemony pesto is a hundred times better than anything you’ll find in a jar.

Sausage pasta is a midweek hero! Discover easy sausage pasta recipes for all seasons.

Nutrition: Per serving

Calories
671kcals
Fat
35g (10g saturated)
Protein
23g
Carbohydrates
62g (6.5g sugars)
Fibre
8.2g
Salt
1.2g

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp for frying
  • 400g sausages
  • 2 medium courgettes, cut into half moons
  • 2 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 300g rigatoni or similar pasta
  • 80g watercress
  • 30g skin-on almonds
  • Grated zest and juice 1 lemon
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Method

  1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large sauté or frying pan over a medium heat, then add the sausagemeat, squeezing it out of the sausage skins into the pan. Cook, stirring and breaking it up, for about 3 minutes until golden in places. Add the courgettes and garlic with a pinch of salt and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the pack instructions. Put two thirds of the watercress in a blender or food processor, including all the thick stems, add the almonds, lemon zest and juice and 1 tbsp olive oil. Whizz to a coarse pesto.
  3. Drain the pasta, reserving a mug of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sausage pan along with the pesto and a good glug of the pasta cooking
    water. Stir until everything is coated in the pesto, then stir in the rest of the watercress.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
671kcals
Fat
35g (10g saturated)
Protein
23g
Carbohydrates
62g (6.5g sugars)
Fibre
8.2g
Salt
1.2g

delicious. tips

  1. Easy swaps Swap the almonds for pine nuts or walnuts, if that’s what you have.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

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