Pasta with easy green sauce

2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 52 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5 2 rating(s)
Pasta with easy green sauce

A vegetable-packed twist on pesto pasta

25 minutes

Serves 4

Aliya Porter

Recipe by: Aliya Porter | Registered Nutritionist

Although delicious, a classic pesto doesn’t contain a portion of your 5 A DAY, but this recipe does. It’s full of protein too so it’s great for growing children.

This recipe is from our Eat Move Learn programme helping kids to eat healthily and stay active.

> See all our recipes suitable for young cooks

> Get a free copy of the cookbook this recipe is from

Two hands - one large, one smallSuitable for young cooks

Aliya Porter

Recipe by: Aliya Porter | Registered Nutritionist

Although delicious, a classic pesto doesn’t contain a portion of your 5 A DAY, but this recipe does. It’s full of protein too so it’s great for growing children.

This recipe is from our Eat Move Learn programme helping kids to eat healthily and stay active.

> See all our recipes suitable for young cooks

> Get a free copy of the cookbook this recipe is from

Two hands - one large, one smallSuitable for young cooks

Ingredients

  • 400g wholemeal fusilli
  • 85g unsalted cashew nuts
  • 160g broccoli, cut into 2cm pieces – use the stalk as well as florets
  • 200g courgette, cut into 4cm pieces
  • 120g frozen peas (defrosted)
  • 40g baby leaf spinach
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 40g hard cheese, finely grated
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice (juice of 1–1½ lemons)

CALORIES: 610

FAT: 22g

5 A DAY: 1

SALT: 0.2g

SUGAR: 6.5g

Method

  1. Put the pasta on to cook, according to packet instructions.
  2. Using a food processor (or handheld blender if you don’t have one), blend the cashews, vegetables, garlic, parmesan and black pepper for 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides and blend again to make a coarse paste. Add the oil and lemon juice and blend again until you have a paste similar to pesto.
  3. When the pasta is cooked, drain, reserving 6 tablespoons of pasta water, then return the pasta back into the pot and add the sauce.
  4. Mix together the sauce, pasta and pasta water and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes until heated through, stirring continuously. Serve immediately with carrots or sweetcorn.

Top tip: Make double the quantity of sauce and freeze it for another day.

With supervision, children can help with measuring out ingredients, putting all the ingredients into the food processor and mixing the sauce in with the pasta.

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