Stuck for healthy and nutritious lunch ideas that don't cause the 3pm slump. This simple to make and quick to prepare pasta dish is both full of flavour and has the benefit of vitamin e in the almonds, giving you a boost to your brain function to get you through the day
INGREDIENTS -per person
- 80g pasta (spirals or penne work well)
- 1 roasted sweet red pepper from a jar, in oil, drained
- 1 tbsp ground almonds
- 1 tsp pine nuts
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 1 sprig of basil or parsley, or both, leaves only
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
Optional extras
add an anchovy while blitzing Or ,toss in a teaspoon of capers in brine, rinsed, when mixing with the pasta.
METHOD
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook for one minute less than the packet instructions suggest.
- Put the other ingredients except the parmesan and optional extras, into the jug of a hand blender, or a food processor, and blitz until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it but keep half a cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Return the pasta to the pan and add the blitzed sauce, starting with half and toss everything thoroughly so that it works its way into the crevices of the pasta. Then add the rest and toss again, stirring to warm the sauce. If it looks dry – it shouldn’t – add a tablespoon of pasta water and stir again.
- Grate over some parmesan and eat with any optional extras you like.