2 Pasta Alternatives To Keep You Covered Through Panic Buying
Dreaming of the days when shelves were stocked with more than just lasagne sheets?
If you’re anything like us, you’re craving a big bowl of pasta even more now that it’s off the menu. Well, don’t worry, our favourite kitchen whizz Niall Kirkland has got things covered with these simple — and super-healthy — pasta alternatives.
Make way for courgetti and… squashetii?
All you need is a spiralizer, then you pretty much have unlimited access to all the vegetable pasta you could want. Not only is it a nifty trick for replacing that penne-shaped hole in your heart, but it’s a great way to get in extra vitamins and minerals — while keeping the carbs relatively low.
Paired with a simple yet completely delicious sauce, these pasta alternatives really will hit the spot when it comes to a comforting evening meal. Give them a go now.
https://youtu.be/XiJSr_Be7to
Ingredients
- 1 courgette
½ tbsp. 100% Coconut Oil - ½ red onion (chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (chopped)
- Handful cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Handful asparagus tips (chopped)
- ½ tsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 handful spinach
- ½ tsp. chilli flakes
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 2 tsp. pesto
- Pine nuts
- Parmesan
- ½ large butternut squash (peeled)
½ tbsp. 100% Coconut Oil - ½ red onion (chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (chopped)
- Handful cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Handful asparagus tips (chopped)
- ½ tsp. white wine vinegar
- 1 handful spinach
- ½ tsp. chilli flakes
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 2 tsp. pesto
- 25g pancetta
- Parmesan
Method
- Use a spiralizer to create long thin noodles from either a courgette or butternut squash. If you are using butternut squash, you will have to trim the squash down first so that it will fit.
- Now, heat coconut oil in a non-stick pan and add the garlic and red onion.
- Fry for 3-4 minutes before adding the cherry tomatoes, asparagus tips, and white wine vinegar.
- Leave to simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes and then add the spinach, chilli flakes, and oregano. Give it a stir and then cover for a 3-4 minutes to wilt the spinach.
- Now, add either your courgetti or squashetti to the pan. If you are making courgetti, add to the pan with 2 tsp. of pesto, stir well and the noodles will soften within 2 minutes. If you are doing squashetti, follow the same process, except cover and leave to simmer for 5 minutes to soften.
- Garnish with topping of your choice — Niall’s gone for a winning combination of parmesan and pine nuts, with a little pancetta on the squashetti too.
Nutritional info per serving:
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | |
| Courgetti | 397 | 13.5g | 20.6g | 28.5g |
| Squashetti | 572 | 14.8g | 30g | 40g |
Looking for more lockdown recipes? Try these:
Lauren is an English Literature graduate originally from the South. She’s always loved swimming, has discovered the power of weight training over the past few years, and has lots of room for improvement in her weekly hot yoga class.
On the weekends she’s usually cooking or eating some kind of brunch, and she enjoys trying out new recipes with her housemates – especially since shaking off student habits, like mainly surviving off pasta. Above all, she’s a firm believer in keeping a balance between the gym and gin.
Find out more about Lauren’s experience here.
