FRUGAL RECIPES: spicy sausage and broccoli spaghetti

This is one of my favourite recipes because the perfect marriage of spicy sausage, garlicky broccoli and silky spaghetti is a lovely thing. It's also seriously cheap to make, and the recipe can be easily adjusted for 1 person or 12 (although you would need a very large pan)!

Ingredients for 2
Half a large head of broccoli
3 cloves of garlic
2 butcher's sausages
2tbsp olive oil
150g spaghetti
Plus chilli flakes and salt & pepper to taste

First, pop your spaghetti on to cook with boiling water and a pinch of salt.

Squeeze the sausages out of their skins and roll into small meatballs (warning: this might make you want to go veggie and, actually, this recipe is equally tasty without the meat). Heat half a tablespoon of olive oil and gently fry the meatballs until they turn crispy and golden. Set aside and reserve for later.

Meanwhile, blanch half a head of broccoli in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until al dente (or longer if you prefer) and drain.

Finely slice the garlic cloves and fry in the pan you cooked your meatballs in with the remainder of the olive oil and a hearty shake of chilli flakes. After about a minute, transfer the broccoli to the pan with the garlic and enjoy that sizzling sound and add the sausages back to the pan after another minute.

When your spaghetti is al dente, drain and throw into the pan with the broccoli and sausages. Stir everything through (tongs would come in handy here, I tell myself every time I get to this point) and serve immediately. A little grated lemon zest also adds a super tasty, fresh flavour.

This dish is perfect for busy weeknights as you can get the whole thing on the table in about 15 minutes (hence the hurried iPhone pictures) and the cost comes out at £0.92 for 2 people, excluding the olive oil, chilli flakes and salt & pepper.

FRUGAL TIP: Don't throw away the stems! Not only are they delicious with a hint of sweetness and a crunch that just begs to be dipped in hummus, broccoli stems are also packed with the same nutrients as the broccoli head - iron, magnesium and calcium to name a few.