Summer is around the corner – and we can’t wait to dig into some light, fresh meals as we enter the sunny season. Try these quick-and-easy pasta recipes when you get that craving for carbs:

Nutty chicken and lemon tagliatelle

SERVES 4 // PREP TIME  10 min // COOK TIME 15 min

INGREDIENTS

50 g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 chicken breasts

1 cup chicken stock

500 g tagliatelle

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup full-cream yoghurt

Zest of 1 lemon

⅓ cup lemon juice

2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked

⅓ cup flaked almonds, toasted

METHOD

1. Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with boiling water and set aside to rehydrate.
2. Place the chicken breasts and stock in a pan over medium heat, cover and poach for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken from the stock and shred using two forks, then set aside until needed.
4. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, then drain and set aside.
5. Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the shredded chicken and drained sun-dried tomatoes, followed by the yoghurt, lemon zest and juice. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and season to taste.
6. Stir the pasta through the sauce until heated through. Serve with the toasted almonds and an extra sprig of thyme

To reduce waste and infuse more flavour into the dish, use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes wherever this recipe calls for regular oil.

Recipe & styling: Marizka du Toit

Photography: Jurie Senekal

Tomato and bacon pasta

SERVES 4 // PREP TIME 10 min // COOK TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS

300 g spaghetti

200 g pack bacon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tin (410 g) tomato & onion mix

Parmesan, to serve

Handful basil, to serve

METHOD

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Fry the bacon over medium-high heat until golden. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Chop into pieces.
3. In the same pan, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, bring to a simmer and stir, scraping off all the bits stuck to the base of the pan.
4. Add in the tomato-and-onion mix and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Add your pasta to the sauce and toss until all the sauce is soaked up. Add a little more pasta water if it’s too thick.
5. Place the pasta into serving bowls, sprinkle over chopped bacon and grate over some Parmesan. Garnish with basil leaves to serve.

Pro tip: If the sauce tastes too acidic, add a teaspoon or two of sugar to help balance it out.

Recipes & styling: Jezza-Rae Larsen, Sjaan van der Ploeg;

Photography: Chanelle Naudt

Sicilian sardine pasta

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 15 mins

INGREDIENTS

300g linguine, cooked as per packet instructions

90 ml olive oil, plus extra to fry

300g cherry tomatoes, halved

Salt and black pepper

20g coriander

15g basil

4 gherkins

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp capers

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 red chilli, seeded

3 × 120g tin sardines in olive oil

Parsley, to garnish

METHOD

1. Drizzle the warm linguine with 2 tbsp oil. Toss, then set aside.
2. Heat a glug of oil in a pan over high heat. Add the tomatoes and a large pinch of salt and fry for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Place the coriander, basil, ¼ cup oil, gherkins, lemon zest and juice, capers, mustard and chilli in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season.
4. To serve, lightly toss the pasta with the sauce, tomatoes and sardines. Garnish with parsley.

ALSO READ: Savour summer with this lavender-berry nice cream

Butternut and goat’s milk cheese pasta

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 60 min

INGREDIENTS

250 g peeled and chopped butternut

¼ cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 red chilli, finely sliced

250 g shell pasta, cooked according to packet instructions

100 g chevin, crumbled

Flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Place the butternut on a tray, drizzle with half the olive oil and season. Roast for 40 minutes.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pot set over medium heat. Add the chilli and fry for 1 minute. Add the pasta, roast butternut and chevin, then season and toss to coat. Garnish with parsley.

Spaghetti with boerie meatballs

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME ± 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

200 g boerewors, casing removed

3 tbsp breadcrumbs

1 tbsp olive oil

410 g tin chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

500 g spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions

Parsley, to garnish

METHOD

1. Mix the boerewors and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Roll into 20 balls.
2. Heat the oil in a pot over high heat and brown the meatballs.
3. Reduce the heat, and add the tomatoes, sugar, soy and Worcestershire sauces and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for 25 minutes, then season.
4. Serve the meatballs and sauce with the pasta, and garnish with parsley.

ALSO READ: Summer lasagne

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