The Slow Kitchen - Easy Green Pasta

It's a weeknight. You're tired. You have a distinct lack of enthusiasm for cooking and dealing with the post-dinner clean-up. You want to eat something healthy, but it also needs to be quick, easy and, well, appealing. I get it. And this is where my Green Pasta comes in.It's comforting, it's packed with veges, it's easily adaptable depending on what you have on hand, and it's damn tasty. Plus, like all other recipes in my Slow Kitchen series, is simple, easy, healthy and full of real ingredients. Bon apetit!

Green Pasta

(Serves 4, Ready in 20 minutes)

You'll need:

• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1-2 handfuls kalamata olives (drained)
• 2-3 handfuls sliced mushrooms
• 2 handfuls broccoli cut into florets
• 1 large zucchini cut into strips
• 2 handfuls frozen peas
• 2 handfuls leafy greens (kale, baby spinach)
• 1-ish cup natural yoghurt
• pasta of choice (I typically use spaghetti or a spelt penne)

Simply:

1. Put the water on to boil and prepare vegetables.
2. Heat half the butter in a large frying pan.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Put the pasta on to cook in lightly salted water.
5. Add the mushrooms and olives to your frying pan and cook for another few minutes, until mushrooms are soft.
6. Add the broccoli and zucchini. Cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Add your frozen peas, and if you’re using a coarser green like kale or silverbeet, add these too. (If it’s a more delicate green like baby spinach, wait until just before serving to add it.)
8. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Mix.
9. Add the rest of your butter and mix through. Add any remaining greens and stir until just wilted.
10. Remove from the heat and stir through half the yoghurt.  Season with salt and pepper.
11. Top with a little more yoghurt, salt and pepper.

Variations/Additions:Need Meat? Add a couple of handfuls of diced ham before adding your vegetables to the frying pan, or add some shredded BBQ chicken to the mix.More Vegetables: You can add roasted pumpkin for added substance and sweetness. I've also cooked it with cauliflower florets, fresh snow peas or sugar snap peas and more greens.Vegan: Replace the butter with coconut oil and either avoid the yoghurt or use a dairy-free alternative.Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free pasta and you're good to go! *Image via SimpleProvisions on Flickr