Everyone loves pesto but to buy a jar that's vegetarian usually costs about £4 so it is cheaper to make your own, also by growing your own basil you can significantly reduce the cost of this sauce. This recipe can be vegetarian or vegan depending on the cheese product used to flavour it. There is something so comforting about a good pasta dish coated in pesto and by adding chick peas, it also makes it high in protein! Pesto Ingredients:
- 4 generous handfuls basil
- 1 clove garlic, toasted
- 1 handful pine nuts, toasted
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 squeeze lemon juice
- 1 large handful, grated Italian hard cheese / 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
Rest of the dish:- 75g pasta or spaghetti,per person (wholegrain)
- 150g chickpeas (Cooked)
- 2 small courgettes
- 4 medium tomatoes
Method:
- Boil the pasta for 10-12 minutes, until al dente.
- Lightly toast(without oil) the pine nuts and garlic in a pan (no one likes the taste of raw garlic).
- Blend up the basil in a food processor, then add in the pinenuts/garlic and whiz again.
- When it will not blend any more, add in the lemon juice and gradually add the oil until it reaches desired consistency, season with salt and pepper.
- Fry the courgette and warm through the chick peas for about 5 mins in a pan, if your tomatoes have been in the fridge then also add these to the pan to warm through after it has been taken off the heat.
- Drain the spaghetti, add with the veg and spoon in the pesto.
- Serve up and enjoy! Cassidy xx
