Pesto, two ways!

Traditional pesto pasta salad

Nutrition content per serve

513 cal| Protein: 30g | Total fat: 33g | Carbs: 21g | Dietary fibre: 7g | Serves 4
* Approximate values from Xyris Foodworks software

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 cups pea or pulse penne pasta (raw)
• 4 asparagus spears
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1 large green apple, peeled
• 1 medium chicken breast
  

Pesto

• 1 bunch basil, leaves only
• ¼ cup water (use pasta water or chicken broth)
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 70g Danish feta cheese (optional)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped parsley (optional)
  

Method

1. Poach chicken breast until cooked all the way through. Be careful not to overcook chicken as it will dry out. Once cooked, remove from water and shred using two forks before adding  to a large salad bowl.
2. Cook pulse pasta according to instructions on the packet. Once cooked, remove pasta from water and add to salad bowl. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water for pesto sauce.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat. Blanch asparagus and broccoli before adding to salad bowl.
4. In a food processor, add all pesto ingredients and process until well combined. Be mindful     not to add all of the water in at once– check that consistency is runny but not watery.
5. Peel and chop apple, then add to salad bowl      before combining all ingredients in pesto sauce. Enjoy!
   

Sundried tomato pesto pasta salad

Nutrition content per serve

552 cal| Protein: 21g | Total fat: 35g | Carbs: 32g | Dietary fibre: 9g | Serves 4
* Approximate values from Xyris Foodworks software

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 medium chicken breast (optional)
• 50g cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 small sweet potato, cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 cups of red lentil pasta (raw)
• ½ small onion, chopped finely
  

Pesto

• 2 medium roasted red capsicums
• ½ small roasted eggplant (optional)
• ¼ cup sundried tomato
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 70g Danish feta (optional)
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1/3 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1/3 cup almonds
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup pasta water
  

Method

1. Poach chicken breast until cooked all the way through. Be careful not to overcook chicken as it will dry out. Once cooked, remove from water and shred using two forks before adding to a large salad bowl.
   
2. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place sweet potato, capsicum and eggplant on a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove skin from capsicum and eggplant once cooled. 
   
3. Cook lentil pasta according to packet instructions. Once cooked remove pasta from water and add to salad bowl. Reserve ¼ cup water for pesto sauce.
4. Chop tomato and onion, and add baked sweet potato to salad bowl.
   
5. In a food processor, add all pesto ingredients and process until well combined. Be mindful not to add all of the water in at once – check that consistency is runny but not watery.
6. Combine salad ingredients in pesto sauce and enjoy!

The key players of this recipe are:

• Pulse and red lentil pastas: these are packed full of fibre at nearly 10 grams per serve, and almost 30 grams of protein!
• Nuts of choice: The wonderful thing about pesto is that you can use whichever nuts you have on hand to suit your taste. From pine nuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts or a mix of any – you are free to choose your player! Nuts give the pesto the nutty aroma, buttery taste and crunchy feel. To reduce the intensity of the nutty taste, roast or dry-fry your nuts for 10 minutes.
• Herbs of choice: While traditional pesto uses basil, you can easily swap this out for whichever herbs or veggies you have on hand such as parsley, sundried tomato, capsicum, mint, or even coriander.

All information contained in this article is intended for general information purposes only. The information provided should not be relied upon as medical advice and does not supersede or replace a consultation with a suitably qualified healthcare professional.