Pasta is the carb-loader’s friend, but it can get a bit boring if you’re having the same old thing. As I’m tapering and have a lot of time on my hands right now, I thought I’d share a few of the pasta recipes I’ve been using recently.

1) Fettuccine with grated beets and cheese. I discovered this recipe through blogger Megan at the Runner’s Kitchen. She’s a much better runner and cook than me, so you should check her out on two counts. If you’re fed up with the usual tomato-based pasta sauces, give this a try. You can use olive oil instead of butter if you’re that way inclined and I’ve been adding garlic to it too. Either way it’s delicious and simple.

2) Sicilian pasta with tomatoes, garlic and almonds. This is one of Nigella’s recipes from her latest series Nigellissima. It’s quick, simple and tastes really fresh. The sauce is cold and you can serve it on hot pasta or cold as more of a pasta salad – so great for your lunchbox. When I made this there was no chance of any being leftover for the next day’s lunch.

3) Lazy Girl’s Pasta. Sometimes after a long day at work and training, I don’t have the energy to cook but I still want to eat well. So I grab a jar of pasta sauce and throw in a bag of spinach and a handful of olives. That way I’m getting fresh veg without having to chop anything. You just need to let the spinach wilt into the sauce and you’re good to go.