Creamy Sausage, Courgette & Olive Pasta with Preserved Lemon
If your New Year’s resolution is to cook more for yourself then I have the perfect pasta for you. Dinner for one can feel like a challenge, unless of course you let me do it for you with recipes like this. It’s gently creamy and warming which I’m sure we can all agree is very much needed right now but has little pops of freshness and salinity throughout to keep it interesting and vibrant. Oh and it’s my creamy sausage, courgette and olive pasta with preserved lemon by the way. I’m using veggie sausages honestly just because I fancied them, and they get torn apart and crisped up in a pan before beautiful coins of baby courgette are added. Olives and preserved lemon are two of my favourite ingredients ever and work so perfectly to bring a layer of complexity in this dish with barely any work (which is exactly what we want this month!).
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Creamy sausage, courgette and olive pasta is a single-serve stovetop dish designed specifically for cooking for one. Made in one pan plus a small pasta pot, it combines crisped sausage pieces, golden courgette, and a silky cream sauce finished with olives and preserved lemon. The flavour profile is rich and warming with bright, salty pops throughout, thanks to the olives and citrusy preserved lemon rind. It’s hearty without being heavy and feels generous without excess. A practical, comforting dinner that proves solo cooking can be both easy and deeply satisfying.
Why You’ll Want to Make This Recipe
Single Serve, Perfectly Portioned
This recipe is carefully scaled for one, using just enough pasta, sausage, and cream to feel indulgent without leftovers lurking in the fridge.
Comforting but Fresh
Creamy and warming at its core, this pasta is lifted by courgette, olives, chilli flakes, and preserved lemon, keeping every bite vibrant and interesting.
Efficient, Low-Stress Cooking
The sausage and courgette cook together in one pan while the pasta boils, keeping the process simple and manageable — ideal for weeknight solo dinners.
Flexible & Adaptable
Use pork or vegetarian sausages, swap the pasta shape, or adjust the chilli level to suit your mood and what you have on hand.
Eleanor’s Top Tips for the Perfect Sausage Pasta
- Tear sausages by hand rather than slicing for more irregular, crispy edges
- Adjust olive oil depending on sausage fat content to avoid greasiness
- Let the courgette take on colour before stirring too much — browning adds flavour
- Undercook the pasta slightly so it finishes cooking in the sauce
- Use pasta water generously to help emulsify the cream into a silky sauce
- Remove the pith from preserved lemon and use only the rind
- Taste before adding salt — olives and preserved lemon add plenty
- Finish with chilli flakes and black pepper for warmth and balance
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Essential Ingredients
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Cooking fat and flavour
- Sausages (2–3, pork or vegetarian): Savoury base
- Courgettes (100g): Freshness and texture
- Green Olives (30g): Salty contrast
- Preserved Lemon Rind (1 lemon): Bright citrus note
- Paccheri Pasta (100g): Holds the creamy sauce well
- Double Cream (2 tbsp): Rich, silky finish
- Chilli Flakes: Gentle heat
- Salt & Black Pepper: Seasoning
Essential Tools
- Large frying pan or sauté pan
- Medium saucepan (for pasta)
- Knife and chopping board
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Dietary Variations
Vegetarian
Use vegetarian sausages and double-check your olives and preserved lemon.
Dairy-Free
Swap the cream for a dairy-free alternative and finish with extra olive oil for richness.
Different Pasta Shapes
Rigatoni, fusilli, or penne all work well if paccheri isn’t available.
Extra Greens
A handful of spinach or peas can be stirred in at the end for extra colour.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I make this pasta fully in one pan?
A: You can cook the pasta separately for best texture, but short pasta can be parboiled and finished in the sauce if needed.
Q: Do I need preserved lemon?
A: It adds something special, but lemon zest works as a substitute in a pinch.
Q: How do I stop the sauce from splitting?
A: Keep the heat moderate and use pasta water to emulsify the cream gently.
Q: Can I reheat leftovers?
A: Yes — add a splash of water and reheat gently, stirring frequently.
Q: Is this recipe spicy?
A: No — the chilli flakes are optional and add warmth rather than heat.
This creamy sausage, courgette and olive pasta is exactly the kind of dish that makes cooking for one feel like a pleasure — comforting, vibrant, and made with intention just for you.
Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-3 Sausages (Pork or Vegetarian)
100g Baby Courgettes (or regular courgette if you can’t find baby courgette)
30g Green Olives
Rind of 1 Preserved Lemon
100g Paccheri (or other short pasta)
2 Tbsp Double Cream
Pinch of Chilli Flakes
Salt
Black Pepper
Instructions
- Start by slicing your baby courgettes into 1/2cm coins. If using regular courgette slices in half lengthways then cut into 1/2cm semi-circles.
- Heat a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. If using pork sausages you will need less oil as the sausages themselves contain more fat. If using vegetarian sausages with a lower fat content, use more olive oil. Use your hands to tear the sausages into chunks and add to the pan (if using pork sausages, remove the casing before tearing into pieces).
- Let the sausages pieces fry for 8-10 minutes until they start to get brown and crispy, then add the courgette slices to the pan and cook for another 10-12 minutes until they also start to brown.
- While the courgette is cooking, add your pasta to a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 2 minutes less than packet instructions.
- Slice the olives into rings. Cut the preserved lemon into quarters and remove the centre so you are only left with the rind. Cut the rind into thin strips then cut the strips into small pieces. Add the olives and preserved lemon to the pan with the sausages and courgette and gently fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the pasta is cooked add it to the sausage pan along with a generous spoonful of water (around 100ml). Add the cream too, and vigorously stir everything together with the pan still on the heat. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened and turned silky. Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Serve the pasta up and top with chilli flakes and a good crack of black pepper.
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Meal Plans & More...
Subscribe to my newsletter for weekly meal plans, for one! I select 5 one pot one portion recipes that use similar ingredients and include your shopping list plus recipe notes, ingredient swaps and tips and tricks for using up leftovers. Take a look at the first one here...
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Usually I would consider a brothy meal that you eat with a bowl and a spoon a form of comfort food, however, the flavours in this dish are so fresh and vibrant that it has to go in this chapter. I love the fiery freshness of ginger and it’s the predominant flavour in this rich chicken broth. The finished dish isn’t a soup as such, but there is just enough broth to make every mouthful deliciously juicy. It also takes minimal time to make so it’s a useful recipe to have on hand for days when you’re short of time.
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I have an affinity for crunchy slaws, as I think they provide more interest, more texture and are more filling than many other salads. However, I’m not partial to excessive quantities of mayonnaise. Here I opt for coconut milk instead, which delivers the same creaminess in a less monotonous way. The fresh coriander and bite of roasted peanuts keep this slaw lively and interesting and are perfect with the lightly charred curried chicken skewers. This would also be great sandwiched between a burger bun, or on a soft flatbread.
Creamy Green Linguine
In a way, this linguine changed my life. It was the first recipe in the series to take off on social media, bringing new people and new opportunities into my life. It’s an exceptionally simple recipe that uses the same water to cook both the pasta and the vegetables, which you then use to create a velvety, carbonara-esque sauce with the cheese and egg. I’ve retested this and tweaked it since its original conception and, though I can’t promise it will change your life, I can promise it will be delicious.
Vegetable Pancake with a Chilli Crisp Egg
This vegetable pancake has its origin in Korea (where they’re known as yachaejeon) and is the perfect dish to use up odds and ends of any vegetables you have lying around. Cabbage, spring onions, carrots and courgettes work really well and provide a nice balance of moisture and crunch, but peppers, potatoes, mushrooms or leafy greens are good alternatives. Depending on the vegetables you use, you may need more or less water to make the light batter so adjust as necessary.
Prawn & Mango Salad
The perfect fresh, but still flavourful, summer salad! This is a beautiful fragrant salad with a creamy, zingy coconut milk dressing. With just a little bit of chopping and a minute of whisking, you’ve got a gorgeous summer lunch, perfect for working from home, taking lunch to the office or a sunny meal in the garden this weekend.
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I buy a lot of cook books and this is genuinely one of the best l've ever bought. I've tried 6 or 7 recipes so far and they're all winners. I'm well used to scaling recipes down to one portion, but not having to calculate measurements as l go along feels like a little luxury. One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up! Highly recommended.
I have been following Eleanor on IG for a while and have made several of her dishes before the cookbook came out. I was thrilled to see so many new things to try and have already made about 6 of them. Her recipes are approachable, the dishes are delicious, and they make me feel like I can cook! Highly recommend.
If you love eating good home cooked food but can't be bothered to cook just for yourself, then this is the book for you. Using ingredients that are easy to find, then mixing, cooking and eating from the same pan or dish means a minimum of washing up. Every recipe I have tried so far has been delicious and have all turned out well which isn't always the case with many cookery books. Definitely recommend!
Following Eleanor on Instagram and seeing her recipes come to life is one thing but then having them in my own kitchen is quite another. Not only are the recipes easy to follow and delicious she also help you not to waste food. This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?
Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This is perfect, as far as influencer chefs go, I find this book refreshing in what has become a cohort of lauded influencers who really aren't doing much more than the bog standard meals most people make anyway, or making googled recipes and adding their own "flair". This book is different as it's your normal fare you'd likely make yourself, given a little bit of a twist to speed up the process / use less utensils / ingredients / food waste, in really creative and tasty ways, all perfectly portioned for one.
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
This is the book I've been waiting for! I (very happily!) live alone, love to cook and read cookery books, but every recipe is for two people or more. This gorgeous book contains recipes perfectly proportioned for one person (and I'm always a very hungry one person!) which ensures more variety, less food waste, and pure, gluttonous joy.
It's so nice to finally have a recipe book that I can go to if I want a quick easy meal with minimal cleaning up required! Everything l've tried so far is delicious. And I salivate at the thought of everything in there!
Totally reignited my cooking mojo which had been MIA for a while. I'm going to buy my daughter a copy to take back to Uni too as everything is simple and delicious - perfect for a student!
Best cookbook for somebody single!
The fact I know I won't have loads to wash up really feels motivating and l've earmarked so many of the recipes already.
This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?