Sun’s out, forks up! These simple summer pastas are light, bright and ready to rescue dinner with minimum fuss and maximum flavour.
Chicken, basil & pasta rice
Serves 4
A comforting and easy meal, with a touch of pesto for freshness.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
550g skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3 pieces each
Salt and milled pepper
1 punnet (500g) cherry tomatoes
½ cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup pasta rice (also called risoni pasta)
Basil pesto, for serving
Basil leaves, for serving
Method
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Season chicken and brown all over. Remove and set aside.
- Add tomatoes, wine, stock, garlic, pasta rice and seasoning and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes.
- Return chicken to pan and cook for another 5-8 minutes or until pasta and chicken is cooked.
- Serve straight from the pan with dollops of basil pesto and basil leaves.
Stovetop beef lasagne
Serves 4-6
This Italian classic is made in half the time by cooking the pasta in the sauce.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive or canola oil
1 onion, chopped
500g beef mince
Salt and milled pepper
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs (or parsley, added at the end)
8-10 lasagne sheets
1 jar (400g) tomato passata
1½ cups beef stock
1 lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup mozzarella, grated
½ cup Cheddar, grated
Basil leaves, for serving
Side salad or crusty bread, for serving
Method
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add oil.
- Sauté onion until soft and fragrant. Add mince and cook to brown. Season.
- Add garlic, tomato paste, chilli, paprika and herbs, allowing to cook for 5 minutes.
- Add lasagne sheets, passata and stock, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, gently pressing pasta into sauce.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, gently stirring every 5 minutes for even cooking. (Make sure pasta is covered in sauce.)
- Stir in lemon juice and zest.
- Top with cheese and cook for another 10 minutes with the lid on, steaming until melted.
- Serve with basil, a side salad or crusty bread, if you like.
Garlicky basil & mussel pasta
Serves 4
This pasta is a quick, mid-week summer meal that’s filled with flavour.
Ingredients
1 box (500g) crumbed garlic half shell West Coast mussels
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 packet (400g) red lentil pasta, linguine or spaghetti
1 tub (120g) basil pesto
1 Tbsp butter
1 packet (125g) mangetout
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 radishes, sliced
Salt and milled pepper
Lemon or lime juice, to finish
Basil leaves, to garnish
Method
- Preheat oven to 200˚C.
- Place mussels on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and roast for 15-20 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to packet instructions.
- Drain, rinse and toss pasta with pesto.
- Heat a pan with butter on a medium-high heat, fry garlic and manget out for about 3-4 minutes.
- Divide pasta, mussels and radishes between 4 plates.
- Season and drizzle with lemon or lime juice and garnish with fresh basil.
Also read: Green goddess chicken salad
One-pan tomato sauce & pasta
Serves 4
The oven turns tomatoes even sweeter to create a punchy pasta sauce.
Ingredients
2.5kg ripe salad tomatoes, quartered
Salt and milled pepper
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp brown or white sugar
5 cloves garlic, sliced
½ punnet (10g) thyme or origanum, leaves picked
1 packet (500g) tagliatelle nests
Parmesan shavings
Handful basil leaves
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on two baking trays (take care not to overcrowd the trays).
- Season, drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Sprinkle with sugar, add garlic and herbs.
- Roast for 40-45 minutes or until tomatoes have gone soft and slightly caramelised.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions.
- Toss tomatoes and pan juices with pasta.
- Garnish with Parmesan shavings and basil leaves just before serving.
Recipe & styling: Lichelle May
Photography: Zhann Solomons
Also read: Workday wins: Inspiration for 4 quick pasta lunches
