Pasta is everybody's favorite. Especially when it's quick, tasty and full of protein. And with your own homemade tomato and red pepper pesto.
Whether you need a quick mid-week lunch, dinner or to prep for the week ahead- this is probably the simplest option out there. This classic recipe is speedy to throw together, taking less than 20 minutes. And you could even use a fresh pasta if you're really stuck for time.
You can freeze the pesto and heat up when you need it, or keep it in the fridge for up to one week. And you can keep leftover pasta in the fridge for up to three days.
We use wholegrain pasta in this recipe, which supplies plenty of fiber to keep you feeling fuller for longer. And each serving contains a huge 25g of plant-based protein per serving.
Making your own pesto might seem complicated, but it couldn't be easier. If you follow our recipe, all you need to do is add it all to a food processor and blitz together until smooth. In just one minute you can have your own fresh pesto.
Tomato and red pepper pesto is slightly sweeter than the classic 'green' basil one. Once you have your own pesto in the fridge or freezer, you can use it for other meals like with roasted vegetables, salad or stirring through grains like couscous.
Usual pesto recipes use hard cheese, which isn't usually vegetarian due to the rennet. So as this is a plant-based pesto, we suggest using a vegan alternative to hard-cheese or parmesan if you prefer to, or you could leave this ingredient out.
The pesto recipe includes healthy fats from olive oil and nuts, which help support brain function and energy. Dietary fats are also required to absorb fat soluble nutrients like vitamin D.
Time to get to the pasta:
Tomato and Red Pepper Pesto Pasta
Serves: 4 servings
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
For the pesto:
4 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove of garlic
Juice of ¼ a lemon
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
2 red peppers
200g jar sundried tomatoes, drained of oil
4 tbsp grated vegan hard cheese or parmesan (optional)
For the pasta:
200g whole-wheat pasta
2 tbsp chopped basil
A few pine nuts (optional)
Method:
- Set a pan of water to boil.
- Add all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth, for at least one minute.
- Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Once cooked, drain the pasta and return to the pan over a low heat.
- Add the pesto and mix well for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Serve topped with a sprinkle of basil and pine nuts.
Storage:
Leftover pesto can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for up to one week. Leftover pasta will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Information
Per serving: (¼ recipe)
Calories: 650Carbohydrates: 58g
