Pea, zucchini and pesto risoni with chicken

Step 1

Bring 8 cups of water to the boil in a large saucepan. 

Step 2

Add the risoni and cook for 4 minutes. 

Step 3

Add the peas and cook for 1 minute. 

Step 4

Reserve ½ a cup of water from the saucepan, then drain the risoni and peas and set aside.  

Step 5

Heat the olive oil in a frypan over medium high heat. 

Step 6

Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 1 minute until starting to soften. 

Step 7

Add the zucchini and sauté for a further 2-3 minutes until softened and the onion is starting to turn a light golden brown.  

Step 8

Add the pesto, risoni, reserved pasta water and season.  Bring to a simmer and stir for 1 minute until the water is absorbed. 

Step 9

Toss through the chicken and serve, garnished with freshly grated parmesan.   Season with pepper.

Ingredient swaps:

• If you don’t have risoni, you can use pasta spirals or macaroni. 
• To save time, you can buy store-bought basil pesto instead of making your own.

Budget tips:

• Buy 'Odd Bunch', 'I'm Perfect' or 'Imperfect Picks’ zucchinis to save money. 
• Jarred garlic can be used to save time and money. 

Reduce waste:

• This is a good recipe for using up left-over cooked chicken. 

Nutrition tips:

• To make this vegetarian, leave out the chicken and add some chopped almonds or some ricotta cheese  or a can of cannellini beans. 
• With plenty of vegetables, this recipe is a good source of fibre.