It’s the beginning of autumn here in Australia which means cooler days and comfort food to ease the sting of knowing we have to wait another year for summer. So to celebrate the transition to milder months, I’m sharing this wonderful pesto pasta recipe to make the adjustment an enjoyable one.
When I think of pesto, I think of my dad and my sister who share an undying devotion to growing basil so they can make pesto from scratch. Their loving competition for who can make the best pesto batch meant we always had a jar of homemade pesto in the fridge to slather on a cracker, bread or to stir into fresh pasta.
Well now I’m weighing in on the challenge and adding a bit of a spin to their traditional recipe. Firstly, my version is different because it is vegan (no parmesan), oil free and I add lemon! This pesto recipe is the best one I have come up with and its all to do with the lemon. The lemon juice and added lemon rind makes the flavour so fresh and not overpowering or oily like some recipes. I also add in baby spinach for an extra serve of greens. The lemon helps to preserve the baby spinach and helps your body to absorb the iron from it, and the pine nuts.
I hope you enjoy this lovely green pasta this autumn!
Recipe
1 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
1 packed cup of fresh basil
1 cup fresh baby spinach
juice of two lemons, 2 tsp of rind
4 tablespoons of water
4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
pinch of salt
2 cups spelt pasta
150g cherry tomatoes
100g fresh rocket
Recipe
Toast the pine nuts and garlic in a pan until golden.
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Add more water if needed.
Boil a pot of water, add the spelt pasta and cook for 5-8 minutes. Strain the water and leave pasta to cool slightly.
Chop the cherry tomatoes and add them to the pasta, along with the pesto sauce and rocket and mix through.
Serve warm and enjoy!
