5 To Thrive's Pappardelle with Courgette Ribbons, Lemon & Ricotta

Simple, tasty, fresh and fast! In fact, prepared and cooked in under 10 minutes, and with a training-friendly carbohydrate to protein ratio as well as plenty of potassium, fibre and healthy fats, this meal ticks most boxes for the busy runner, cyclist or triathlete looking for speedy, nutrient-dense meals to add to the summer nutrition plan. Easy to digest and light on the stomach, and with 80g carbs per portion, it’s a nice uncomplicated meal to load up on the night before a race, or indeed to pack in a sealed container to eat cold if you’re on-the-go.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 400g fresh pappardelle or fresh lasagne sheets cut into strips
• 2 courgettes
• 25g pack of fresh mint, leaves only, chopped finely
• Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 250g tub of ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. First, make your courgette ribbons. The easiest way to do this is to cut off ends of each courgette, then using a potato peeler, sharp knife or a handheld mandolin, shave off very thin slices, being careful to preserve your fingers!
2. Combine the mint (keep a little back for decoration), lemon zest, olive oil and half of the lemon juice in a small bowl.
3. Scoop out small spoonfuls of the ricotta onto a small plate.
4. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to pack instructions (fresh pasta usually only takes a couple of minutes). When the pasta is almost cooked, add the courgettes.
5. Drain the pasta and courgettes, saving a tablespoon of the cooking water to prevent the pasta from sticking.
6. Transfer to a large dish, add the lemony olive oil mixture and toss to combine.
7. Add the ricotta, sprinkle with more mint, freshly ground black pepper and extra lemon juice according to taste and serve immediately.