This pesto pasta is full of good goodness and has a protein boost from the hemp seeds. You could serve it with a poached egg for even more protein and richness but’s it’s satisfying just as it is.

The pesto in this dish is the same one I used in the sandwich suggestion for yesterday’s schnitzel post. The pesto is full of green goodness and has no garlic making it a good fructose friendly option too. I’ve loaded it with a variety of herbs and a little bit of chilli so it has the zing you’d normally get from raw garlic.

I love rigatoni with pesto as the ridges allow the pesto sauce to really stick to each piece of pasta, but really any pasta will work. You could also use the pesto in sandwiches, on toast, as a side with your favourite protein or just to dollop in a ‘glow bowl’. Add a dollop to some oil and lemon juice to make a yummy dressing for your favourite salad too.

I find using a food processor give the pesto a better texture than using a more high powered blender. I find that it just get’s super creamy and thick if it’s blended in a nutri bullet, rather than saucey and pesto like. if you don’t have these you can use a mortar and pestle to grind the dry ingredients together and then mix in the wet ingredients at the end.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, stem roughly chopped and head broken into florets

400g pasta (I used rigatoni)

1/3 cup pepitas

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1 cup basil leaves

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

1 cup roughly chopped spring onion

1 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

50ml hemp or extra virgin olive oil

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp salt flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra oil and parmesan to serve

Directions

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil Once boiling, fit a steam basket on top. PLace the broccoli in this basket and cover with a lid. Steam broccoli for 7 minutes or until bright green and tender.

Remove steamer basket and cook pasta in the boiling water according to packet directions.

Transfer broccoli to a food processor along with the herbs, hemp seeds, chilli and spring onion. Blitz until well combined then add the parmesan, oil, salt, lemon zest and juice. Blitz again. Add a little water to thin if it looks dry. Taste and season as required.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of water. Mix with as much of the pesto as your heart desires. Serve sprinkled with parmesan and drizzled in extra oil.

HH. x