This pasta sauce can also be dolloped over a salad bowl or spread on bruschetta – it’s punchy herby, creamy deliciousness. But with no cream because I’m trying to make pasta better for you!

This is such an easy meal to make and you can add whatever else you like tothe pasta, a handful of spinach per serve is great as is some shredded chicken if you have left overs. It’s creamy deliciousness comes form the nuts, I used a mixture or walnuts and almonds to get a bit more of a variety of nutrients in but you could easily just use all of one or the other.

The peas balance the sauce and add a lovely slight sweetness as well as being a great way to cram in some extra veg. And there’s never anything wrong with getting in more greens!

I used a pulse based pasta with this sauce to increase the fibre and protein content further but you could use whatever you like. Zoodles work well too or be more indulgent and toss some gnocchi through!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup Basil

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

1/3 cup walnuts

1/3 cup almonds

2/3 cup frozen peas (pour hot water over for 30 seconds then drain)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1 dried chilli

1/4 cup spring onion

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Salt and black pepper.

5 cups cooked pasta (4 small to medium serves) Cook once you’ve finished preparing the sauce

Directions

NOTE: When cooking the pasta reserve 1/4 cup cooking water before draining.

Place all the ingredients (excluding the pasta!) in a high speed blender (like a nutribullet) or food processor and blitz until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. You may also want more lemon juice depending on the potency of the lemons you used!

Stir through your cooked pasta, preferably in the warm pot it was cooked in add a little bit of the cooking water you reserved earlier if the sauce is not spreading evenly through the pasta. Serve garnishing with extra herbs, parmesan and lemon zest.

HH. x