Creamy pasta with broccoli, peas and lemon
A quick and delicious creamy pasta with a few tweaks to keep it healthy. Whole wheat pasta adds fibre and using reduced-fat crème fraîche keeps the calories down. You can add chopped cooked chicken or diced ham at the same time as the crème fraîche if you like. Add a splash of water and heat through until hot throughout.
Ingredients
- 240g/8½oz whole wheat penne pasta
- 200g/7oz long-stemmed broccoli, trimmed and each stalk cut into three pieces
- 100g/3½oz frozen peas
- 175g/7oz reduced-fat crème fraîche
- 1 small lemon, finely grated zest only
- 25g/1oz Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for serving
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Half fill a large saucepan with water, add a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the broccoli and peas and boil for a further 2 minutes, then drain in a colander and return to the pan.
Add the crème fraîche, lemon zest and Parmesan and season generously with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and a little more salt. Toss together over a low heat for 20–30 seconds, or until the crème fraîche is hot, then serve sprinkled with a little extra cheese, if you like.
Recipe Tips
Full-fat crème fraîche, or cream, can be used instead of the reduced fat crème fraîche, but the calorie count will increase.