Self-Saucing One Pot Summer Spaghetti
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Total: 30 mins
Tender broad beans and the first of this year’s UK basil add a splash of summertime to this clever pasta dish that uses just one pan, and the spaghetti sauces itself with a mix of garlic, lemon and sweet juicy mini San Marzano tomatoes.
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739 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 50g pine nuts
  • 1000g broad beans in the pod
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 lemon
  • 500g mini San Marzano tomatoes
  • 6 spring onions
  • A handful of basil, leaves only
  • 400g spaghetti
  • 100g peppery salad mix
  • 2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
From your kitchen
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
You'll need
  • Large, heavy-based pan or shallow casserole dish with li
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Heat a large, heavy-based pan for 2 mins. Tip in the pine nuts and toast, shaking the pan so they don’t burn, for 2-3 mins till golden. Tip out into a bowl. Fill the pan with water, cover and bring to a boil.

  • 2.

    While the water is coming to the boil, open the broad bean pods and scoop out the beans. Add them to the pan of boiling water and simmer for 2 mins. Drain over a large bowl, catching the hot water in the bowl, then pour 500ml of the cooking water in a jug. Plunge the beans into ice-cold water to stop them cooking further.

  • 3.

    Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Finely grate the lemon zest and juice 1 half (keep the other half for later). Quarter the mini San Marzano tomatoes. Trim the roots and any ragged green tops off the spring onions and finely slice the white and green parts. Pick the basil leaves.

  • 4.

    Pour the reserved cooking water back into the pan and bring to the boil. Add 3 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, the garlic, lemon zest and juice and the tomatoes.

  • 5.

    Snap the spaghetti in half, so it sits flat in the pan. Add it to the pan. Clamp on a lid till the water comes back to the boil again. Remove the lid. Simmer on a high heat for 8 mins. Toss the pasta every now and then while it cooks.

  • 6.

    While the spaghetti cooks, toss the salad leaves with 1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.

  • 7.

    After 8 mins, the spaghetti should be soft with a slight bite, and most of the water evaporated. Add the broad beans and the spring onions. Toss together for 1 min to warm through.

  • 8.

    Add most of the basil and fold it through the spaghetti with a crack of pepper. Add more salt if needed. Divide the pasta between a couple of warm bowls, spooning over the sauce and veg. Top with the remaining basil, the salad leaves and toasted pine nuts. Serve with lemon wedges.

  • Tip

    Double trouble
    When you pop the broad beans out of their long green pods you'll see they look a little pale. This is because each bean is encased in a thin skin to protect it. The skins are edible, but on larger beans they can be a little bitter. The skins will be loose and wrinkly once you have boiled them. You can pinch the ends of the skins and pop the green beans out of them if you don't want to eat the grey skins.

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