I absolutely love homemade pesto pasta. It was such a college dish for me, with heaps and heaps of pasta. Now as I’m much older and my tastes have changed, I love a really good pesto pasta in a fabulous Italian restaurant, or even better, in Italy. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know how you get on, you can grab more recipes here
Jessica Cooke X
‘Glycemic Index’ basically translates to how food affects your blood sugar. Typically, high
glycemic index foods like white carbs, including sugar, will give you a spike in your blood
sugar, giving you a burst of energy but then a crash. Low glycemic foods give a more sustained
form of energy. These include high fibre, whole grain carbs, some fruits and vegetables and
dairy products.
An odd one but cold cooked pasta has a lower glycemic index than hot cooked pasta. Cooling
down pasta after it has been cooked gives less of a spike in blood sugar and coupling that with
brown pasta, you’ll get a meal that should leave you more satisfied.
Making your own pesto is an extra step but you can control the amount of cheese and oil that
goes into it this way, making a slightly healthier version. It’s cheating a little by using some
water to help combine the sauce but just be sure to use the sauce straight away.
Ingredients:
- 150g brown pasta
- 25g fresh basil leaves
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1 small handful of cashews
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp water
Method:
Bring a large pan of salted water up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the packets
instruction or until ‘al dente’. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Leave to cool on
the side.
Using a high powered blender, add the basil, parmesan, cashews, garlic, olive oil and water.
Blitz until a smooth paste has formed, adding more water/oil if needed.
Stir in the pasta and serve with some green veg like roasted broccoli and a source of protein.
