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Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta

Name: Sausage, courgette and watercress pesto pasta
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
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

By: Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Published: 31 May 24
Updated: 14 Jun 24

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

Easy
June 2024

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
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.

Dairy-free recipes

Nutrition: Per serving

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

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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

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.
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.
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.