The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Courgetti Pasta with Pesto Tofu & Olives
Our lower-carb, vegan take on classic pasta isn’t quite nonna’s recipe – but you’ll love it all the same. Protein-rich tofu is fried in fragrant basil pesto and served on a bed of satisfying, juicy courgetti.
Prep in 10
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
5 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 pepper
- 2 courgette
- 30g pitted black olives (Olives, Water, Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Grape Must)
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 40g baby spinach
- 10g sunflower seeds
- 100g passata
- 40g sundried tomatoes (Sun dried tomatoes, Sunflower oil, Wine vinegar, Salt, Capers, Garlic, Oregano, Chilli pepper, Parsley, Antioxidant: Ascorbic acid, Acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 1 onion
- 280g tofu (Soya) (Tofu (Water, Soya Beans, Nigari))
Nutritional Information
Calories: 537
Protein: 31g
Carbs: 28g
Fat: 32g
Ingredients
- 1 onion (use half)
- 30g pitted black olives (use half) (Olives, Water, Red Wine Vinegar, Sea Salt, Grape Must)
- 100g passata (use half)
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 10g sunflower seeds (use half)
- 1 pepper (use half)
- 2 tsp dried oregano (use half)
- 40g sundried tomatoes (use half) (Sun dried tomatoes, Sunflower oil, Wine vinegar, Salt, Capers, Garlic, Oregano, Chilli pepper, Parsley, Antioxidant: Ascorbic acid, Acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (use half)
- 2 courgette
- 280g tofu (use half) (Soya) (Tofu (Water, Soya Beans, Nigari))
- 40g baby spinach (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 570
Protein: 34g
Carbs: 32g
Fat: 33g
Courgetti Pasta with Pesto Tofu & Olives
Our lower-carb, vegan take on classic pasta isn’t quite nonna’s recipe – but you’ll love it all the same. Protein-rich tofu is fried in fragrant basil pesto and served on a bed of satisfying, juicy courgetti.
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Cooking Instructions
- Finely dice the onion. Halve the tomatoes. Halve the olives and sundried tomatoes. Drain the tofu, pat dry with paper towel and cut into 2cm cubes.
- Heat a large frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium heat. Add the tofu and cook for 8-10 mins, until golden and crisp. Stir in the pesto; season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook for another 5 mins, then remove the tofu from the pan, cover and keep warm.
- Heat another medium frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 mins. Stir in the passata, spinach, sundried tomatoes, olives, oregano and chilli flakes (to taste). Simmer for 5 mins, until thickened. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Make the courgetti; peel the courgettes into ribbons. Slice the ribbons into long, thin strips (or use a julienne peeler or spiralizer if you have one).
- Reheat the tofu pan to medium heat. Add the courgetti and cook for 1 min, stirring frequently, until slightly softened.
- Serve the courgetti topped with the tomato sauce and tofu. Sprinkle with the sunflower seeds.
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