Easy Wholegrain Pasta With Spinach Pesto
A vegan spinach pesto with wholegrain pasta is exactly what you need when you want to eat something delicious and nutritious in a rush. For a gluten-free dish, use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free miso, or replace the miso with salt.
Servings: 8
Calories: 344kcal
Ingredients
- 16 oz whole wheat pasta (or gluten-free pasta, if gf. Use any small pasta shape)
- 1 cup kalamata olives , cut into rings or whichever way you want
- 2 cups green beans , cooked (I used frozen ones pre-cut in 1-inch lengths and toss them into the boiling pasta water for the last five minutes that the pasta is cooking. They turn out just perfect.)
- 3 tablespoon roasted sunflower seeds
For the pesto
- 4 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup raw cashews (substitute with walnuts, roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds, pecans, or even the more traditional pine nuts)
- 4 cloves garlic , smashed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (use less if you want to, but I like my pasta with plenty of olive oil!)
- 1 tablespoon white miso (use gluten-free miso if gluten-free, or substitute salt to taste)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente. If using frozen green beans, add them to the pasta water during the final five minutes of cooking. If using fresh beans, cook until tender. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water before draining the pasta and beans.
- While the pasta is cooking, place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until everything's broken down into a rough paste
- Place the pesto and pasta in a bowl, and add all the veggies and sunflower seeds. Add a quarter to a half cup of the pasta cooking water to the bowl. Check salt.
- Mix together thoroughly and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1665IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3mg