High-protein pea and spinach pesto

High-protein pea and spinach pesto with lentil pasta, cashews, hard cheese and lemon: creamy, savoury and easy for everyday cooking, with plenty of plant protein.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 12 min
• Total time: 22 min
• Calories: 410 kcal per serving
• Protein: 24 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Carbs: 55 g

Ingredients

• 150g frozen peas
• 200g lentil pasta
• 2 handfuls of leaf spinach
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 unwaxed lemon (juice)
• 1 tbsp vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 1 spoonful of olive oil
• 1 handful of roasted cashews
• Salt and pepper

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · blender · sieve

1. Cook the peas briefly in hot water until soft. Cook the lentil pasta in salted water until al dente and save a little of the cooking water.
2. Wash the leaf spinach and drain it well. Peel the garlic, squeeze the lemon and have the cashews ready.
3. Put the peas, spinach, garlic, lemon juice, hard cheese, olive oil and cashews in a blender. Season with salt and pepper and blend until creamy.
4. If the pesto is too thick, blend in a little of the lentil pasta cooking water. That makes it smoother and helps it cling to the pasta.
5. Drain the lentil pasta and toss it straight away with the pea and spinach pesto. Leave for a moment so everything comes together.
6. Serve in bowls, with hard cheese, cashews or black pepper if you like.

Good to know

This is the kind of meal I especially like during the week: quick to make, creamy and really satisfying. It tastes fresh and savoury without being heavy.

Swaps

Cashews → walnuts (more omega-3 fatty acids), hard cheese → nutritional yeast (savoury; depending on the product, nutritional yeast contains B vitamins), lentil pasta → chickpea pasta (similar protein and fibre content), leaf spinach → rocket (more peppery, also contains plant compounds).

Allergens

Contains milk from the hard cheese and tree nuts from the cashews; usually suitable for children if the garlic is kept mild, and fine during pregnancy when using pasteurised or hard, matured cheese in normal amounts.

Frequently asked questions

What's in peas nutritionally?

Peas provide plant protein, fibre and, among others, vitamin C, folate and manganese. They also bring a natural sweetness to the pesto.

Is spinach a good ingredient because of its iron?

Spinach contains iron, plus folate and vitamin K. Its iron content is solid, but often overestimated.

Can cashews be hard on the stomach?

Cashews provide magnesium, copper and some protein, but some people find them harder to digest than finer nut butters. If you have a sensitive stomach, a smaller amount or blending them very finely often helps.

Why does lemon go in a pesto like this?

Lemon brings not only acidity but also vitamin C to the dish. It balances the sweetness of the peas and the savoury notes of the hard cheese and garlic.

What does garlic bring to the pesto?

Garlic contains sulphur compounds, which give it its pungent flavour. In this pesto, blended raw with the peas, it's mainly there for depth and savouriness.