Low carb, vegetarian pesto pasta

It’s meat free Monday and I wanted something that felt like a treat, it’s cold, wintery…and I had just been for a swim so was starving! However, I never like to start the week on a binge so I also wanted something that felt like it was going to do me some good. By substituting pasta for butternut squash spaghetti, and by replacing meat with even more vegetables, I had a super comforting meal, which was also really, really good for you!

I’m a big fan of home made pesto. I have recently got into it after rekindling my love for my mini chopper (sad, I know). I have started making all sorts of pesto for all sorts of different meals…but I have to say, nothing beats the original. This recipe below is quick (as in, 10 minutes quick!), easy, one pan and contains 5 of your 5 a day and as if that wasn’t good enough, it also contains shed loads of anti oxidants through all of the garlic!

Garlic contains vitamins C and B6, manganese, selenium and loads other antioxidants (notably allicin).

More recent evidence suggests garlic may be effective against high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cholesterol, colds and some cancers. There’s no reason not to eat it! (so long as you don’t mind garlic breath).

The basil in pesto also has major health benefits. Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese; a very good source of copper, vitamin A, and vitamin C; and a good source of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.

So all in all, this is a perfect, Monday night, healthy yet comforting evening meal. Just writing about it makes me want to have more of it!

Ingredients:

For the pesto:

¼ cup of pine nuts

¼ cup of walnuts

1 cup of basil (including stalks)

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup parmesan

pepper to taste

For the pasta:

500g butternut squash pasta

100g mushrooms

100g spinach

200g cherry tomatoes

Method:

• 1Add all the pest ingredients into a mini chopper and chop all the ingredients until a paste like consistency
• Microwave the butternut squash pasta for 3 minutes
• Chop the veg, lightly fry in a pan until softened
• Add the pasta and fresh pesto
•  Cook for a further 5 minutes until cooked through
• Tuck in!

I topped mine with some grated parmesan and toasted pine nuts…delicious!