Spring is nearly here; the Daffodils have started popping up to remind us that better weather is on its way! It’s time to get out in nature and enjoy the new colours and sensations. A quick pasta dish will allow you to fill your stomach for a reasonable price before heading out the door. These 3 recipes can also be put in a flask or container and taken with you for an alfresco meal.
Tuna pasta salad
This is a staple in our house, everyone eats it by the bowlful and it’s so easy to make in big batches for lunchboxes and snacks throughout the week.
Ingredients – Serves 6 large portions.
- 500g pasta
- 2 tins of tuna
- A small bunch of spring onions
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 1 red pepper
- A small bunch of parsley
- 1 small tin sweetcorn
- 1tsp mustard
- A squeeze of lemon juice
Method:
- Cook pasta to the packet recommendations
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, chop all the vegetables and herbs finely.
- Open the cans of tuna and drain.
- In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients well and taste to check seasoning.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the tuna mix.
- Combine everything well and enjoy!
Simple sausage pasta
This is such an easy, quick meal for when you need inspiration from the fridge.
Great for students on a budget too.
Ingredients: Serves 4
- 8 sausages
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 onion
- Garlic cloves (measure with your heart)
- 300g pasta
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Method:
- Grill the sausages until golden brown.
- Whilst they’re cooking, cook the pasta to the packet recommendations.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic and add to a frying pan with 1tbsp oil and sauté until softened.
- Stir in the herbs and chilli and the tinned tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins.
- Chop the sausages into chunk bitesize pieces.
- Add the sausages to the tomatoes, mix well.
- Drain the cooked pasta and stir through the sausage sauce.
- Serve and enjoy.
Bacon, spinach and Tomato lunchbox pasta
Taking a twist on the classic BLT, this pasta salad is perfect for a lunchbox, take it into the office or school or out into the park. It’s delicious!
Ingredients – Serves 1 for a lunchbox
- 100g Wholewheat Pasta shapes
- A handful of baby spinach
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 rashers of smoked bacon, griddled until crispy
- 2 tbsp natural yoghurt (can be substituted for mayonnaise)
- 1tsp mustard
Method:
- Cook the pasta to packet recommendations and drain.
- Chop the cooked bacon roughly.
- Stir the bacon, spinach, tomatoes, yoghurt and mustard together.
- Stir into the pasta and leave to cool before putting into a container for a hearty, fresh lunch,
Pasta is so versatile and works so well on a budget, it is portable and carries flavours well. Have a play with tastes and textures and shapes! Take a stroll in nature with your lunch and look forward to the sunshine and fresh season of spring!