QUICK SPINACH AND LEMON PASTA
In nutrition blogs you often find that pasta should be avoided because of the high amount of simple carbohydrates that it contains. But there are two things to take into consideration: the first is that we need some simple carbohydrates,particularly before physical exercise; the second is that not all pasta is created equal. By alternating white to brown, lentil, chickpeas, peas (to name a few) pasta, we can add extra benefits. Brown pasta for example, has a greater amount of fibre and B vitamins compared to the white type, while lentil/chickpea/pea pasta have a higher protein intake.
So here’s finally one simple and tasty pasta meal that you can prepare in just 10 minutes, without feeling guilty. Thanks to the spinach and nutritional yeast, the sauce provides you with folic acid, calcium, magnesium and B12, lemon contain vitamin C and garlic is an all-around antimicrobial rich in quercetin that support your body against illness.
Serve: 4
Difficulty: easy
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
– 255g pasta of your choice
-150g spinach
-1 lemon, zested & juiced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
-4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
-salt & pepper, to taste
-3 tbsp. pine nuts, roasted
Method
- Cook the pasta according to instructions on the packaging, reserve some of the pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water until it’s just wilted. Cool and squeeze out any excess water.
- Place the spinach into a food processor along with the garlic, lemon zest, half the lemon juice, olive oil and nutritional yeast. Season with salt and pepper and blitz until smooth.
- Mix the spinach paste with the cooked pasta. Add a little of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to achieve a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper, top with pine nuts and serve immediately.
