Nut Free Pesto Tagliatelle | Flexitarian Series | Super Easy!
Posted: Apr 14 2020
This quick and easy Italian pasta dish is one of our go to meals. The pesto freezes well so we usually make a double batch. When we use vegan parmesan this meal is one of our plant based family meals that everyone enjoys.
We have to be careful of nut allergies at our daughter’s school, this pesto pasta can go with her to school the next day which makes those mornings a little easier...still tough, but a little easier. Parents will understand :)
NUT FREE PESTO TAGLIATELLE
serves 4
cook time - 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 pint cherry tomatoes1/3 cup (60g) raw sunflower seeds
2 large handfuls (180g) spinach
1/3 cup (80-90ml) olive oil
1 clove of garlic minced
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
400g tagliatelle or fettuccine noodles
2 cups (200g) green beans or desired vegetable
2 handfuls (50g) parmesan cheese or vegan parm
small bunch of basil (optional)
Method
Preheat the toaster oven or oven to 425 F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Place the raw sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan on med-high heat. Toast for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Tossing frequently so they don’t burn. Set aside to cool.
Give your cherry tomatoes a quick rinse, slice them in half and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast them in an oven for 12 minutes or until blistered.
Meanwhile, make the pesto. Once sunflower seeds have cooled, place in blender, and pulse until it is a fine powder (or chunky if you prefer). Remove from blender.
Place spinach, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice & salt to the blender and pour ground seeds on top and pulse until it is a chunky puree. Add additional olive oil if required to get the desired consistency.
Traditional recipes usually add the parmesan cheese directly in the pesto but we like to add it at the end to accommodate dairy free individuals.
Make sure to taste the pesto and adjust salt and lemon to your taste.
Add noodles to boiling water and set a timer according to the package.
Meanwhile, wash green beans and cut into bite size pieces. With 3 minutes left on the noodles, add the green beans to the pot. Chiffonade some basil for garnish and grate parmesan cheese if using.
Once cooked, drain noodles remembering to remove a mug full of the pasta water first.
Dump the noodles and beans back in the big pot, add the pesto and add a little pasta water to make the pesto silky but not watery. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
Place in bowls and garnish with roasted tomatoes, freshly grated parmesan or vegan parmesan, basil, fresh black pepper and Maldon salt.
Buon Appetito!
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