High Protein Pasta with Wild Garlic Cream Sauce and Courgette

Wild garlic has a narrow window – a few weeks in spring when the forest floor smells like the best pasta you've never made yet. This High Protein Penne with Wild Garlic Cream Sauce and Courgette is built around exactly that moment: wild garlic at its peak, courgette as the first whisper of summer, and a sauce that gets its creaminess entirely from oat cream rather than double cream. What makes this version different from a standard wild garlic pasta? Parmesan and Pecorino replace the more pungent Gorgonzola – the result is nuttier, milder, and lets the wild garlic do the talking. Finished with lemon zest and cracked black pepper, it's one of those dishes that tastes far more considered than the effort it requires. Wild garlic season in the UK typically runs March to May – make the most of it.

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Ingredients for High Protein Pasta with Wild Garlic Cream Sauce and Courgette

• 250 g High Protein Penne (z. B. De Cecco Protein oder Linsen-Penne)

For the wild garlic cream sauce with courgette

• 1 pinch of salt & freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, finely diced (approx. 100 g)

• 1 courgette (approx. 250 g), sliced or cut into strips

• 100 ml dry white wine

• 150 ml vegetable stock

• 200 ml oat cuisine (oat cream)

• 1 bunch wild garlic (approx. 80 g), roughly chopped

• 30 g Parmesan, finely grated

• 20 g Pecorino, finely grated

To garnish

• Parmesan or Pecorino, freshly shaved

• A drizzle of olive oil (optional)

• Chilli flakes (optional)

  
  

Instructions for High Protein Pasta with Wild Garlic Cream Sauce and Courgette

1. Cook the penne in a large pan of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve a mugful of cooking water before draining.

   Tip: High-protein pasta often needs an extra minute or two – taste rather than rely on the packet timing.

2. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and just golden – about 4–5 minutes.

3. Add the courgette slices or strips to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until lightly caramelised at the edges. Season lightly with salt.

   My trick: Don't salt the courgette too early – it draws out moisture and prevents browning. Let it colour first, then season.

4. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble until the alcohol cooks off. Add the vegetable stock and allow the liquid to reduce for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the oat cream and warm gently over low heat. Do not boil – oat cream can split at high temperatures.

6. Stir in the Parmesan and Pecorino over low heat until fully melted into a smooth, velvety sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.

   My trick: Take the pan off the heat or keep it very low – Parmesan and Pecorino melt evenly at low temperatures and clump at high ones.

7. Stir the chopped wild garlic into the sauce and leave to wilt for just about a minute – this preserves the vibrant green colour and keeps the flavour fresh rather than cooked.

8. Add the drained penne to the pan and toss gently. Add a splash of pasta cooking water and stir over low heat until the sauce coats every piece of pasta evenly.

   Tip: The cooking water is key – it naturally binds and silkens the sauce without extra fat.

9. Finely grate the lemon zest over the pasta and add a generous pinch of coarsely ground black pepper. This final step lifts the wild garlic, cheese and oat cream into something sharper and more alive.

10. Divide between warmed plates. Shave over fresh Parmesan or Pecorino, add chilli flakes and a fine drizzle of olive oil if you like. Serve immediately.

Résumée

High Protein Pasta with Wild Garlic Cream Sauce and Courgette is spring on a plate – and a reminder that seasonal cooking doesn't need to be complicated to be memorable. The wild garlic brings intensity, the courgette brings lightness, and Parmesan and Pecorino give the sauce a nutty depth that Gorgonzola never could. The lemon and pepper finish at the end isn't a garnish – it's the moment the dish comes together.

Why does this work so well for flexitarians? It's naturally meat-free, fully veganisable in two steps, built around an ingredient that only exists for a few weeks a year, and filling enough that no one at the table will miss the meat. High Protein Penne with Wild Garlic proves that plant-forward eating and genuine satisfaction are not in opposition – they're the same thing, done right.

Tried it? Leave a comment below or share your result using the hashtag #Foodforflexitarians on Instagram!

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