Prawn Courgette Pasta with Sundried Tomato and Sunflower Seed Pesto

This was a pasta recipe I came up with back in the summer when courgettes and tomatoes were at their best. They might be slightly out of season now but this is still a really quick and delicious recipe to have in your repertoire for when you are short on time. You could miss out the prawns and keep it veggie, subbing in some fried aubergine or adding extra tomatoes, or you could use chicken instead. The pesto is a great one for nut-allergies as it uses sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts. The texture and flavour is just the same as other pesto recipes (some might say actually more tasty) and its so versatile. This recipe makes a bit extra which can be kept in the fridge covered under a layer of oil for a few days. You can add it on pizzas, stir it through risottos, or use it as a topping for hummus. The possibilities are endless.

(Serves 4 - £3.25 per portion)

1. For the pesto, add 150g roughly chopped sundried tomatoes to a food processor with 1 tbsp of their oil, 3 roughly chopped garlic cloves, 75g toasted sunflower seeds, a handful of torn basil leaves, the juice of a lemon, 50g grated parmesan and 50ml balsamic vinegar. Blitz until the pesto is smooth but still has some texture. Season to taste. Set aside.
2. For the pasta, fry one roughly chopped onion in a little olive oil in a large saute pan. Add a pinch of salt and fry over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until the onion is soft. Add 2 courgettes chopped into cubes and fry until slightly golden. Cook 300g of pasta according to the packet instructions.
3. Add 250g halved cherry tomatoes to the courgette/onion mixture and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the cooked pasta with a ladleful of the cooking water and stir through a large dollop of the pesto.
4. Meanwhile, panfry 400g prawns over a high heat in a little oil and butter until golden and just cooked.
5. Add the prawns to the pasta with the juice of a lemon and a couple of handfuls of rocket leaves. Taste and season accordingly.
6. Spoon into bowls, top with some fresh basil leaves and extra rocket, grate over some more parmesan and enjoy.