Wholemeal spelt pasta with pesto rosso

Wholemeal spelt pasta with pesto rosso: a savoury pasta dish with sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 5 min
• Cooking time: 12 min
• Total time: 17 min
• Calories: 480 kcal per serving
• Protein: 16 g
• Fat: 20 g
• Carbs: 58 g

Ingredients

• 250g wholemeal spelt pasta
• 80g sun-dried tomatoes
• 30g almonds
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 handful of basil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of pepper
• 1 pinch of chilli flakes

Method

You’ll need: saucepan · blender · sieve

1. Cook the wholemeal spelt pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. Save a little of the cooking water before draining.
2. Put the sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, garlic and basil in a blender. Chop everything roughly.
3. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and blend into a creamy but slightly chunky pesto. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
4. Return the hot pasta to the pan. Fold in the pesto with a little of the cooking water until everything is well coated.
5. Leave to stand briefly so the flavours come together. If needed, season again with pepper or lemon juice.
6. Divide between plates and serve with fresh basil and toasted chopped almonds.

Good to know

When it needs to be quick but still taste like a proper meal, this dish is worth its weight in gold. Full of flavour, silky and with lots of depth – without a heavy sauce.

Swaps

Almonds → walnuts (contain omega-3 fatty acids); wholemeal spelt pasta → chickpea pasta (also provides protein and fibre); basil → rocket (slightly more bitter); olive oil → avocado oil (also mainly monounsaturated fatty acids)

Allergens

Contains gluten and tree nuts (almonds). For children, leave out the chilli flakes; in pregnancy, make sure the sun-dried tomatoes have been stored properly and wash all the ingredients well.

Dairy-free recipes