PEA PESTO WITH CHICKPEA PASTA

PEA PESTO WITH CHICKPEA PASTA 

Serves 2

Gluten free : Dairy Free : Vegan 

200G chickpea pasta 

100g baby spinach leaves 

hemp seeds (optional) to serve

PESTO:

2 cups frozen peas

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 

sea salt and black pepper 

Make the pesto: Place chickpeas in a bowl, pour boiling water over the top and allow to blanch and cook for 6-8 minutes. Drain and pour into a blender. Add garlic lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and nutritional yeast to blender, season with sea salt and black pepper and blitz until creamy. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, cook according to packet instructions, drain but keep a small amount of water in the saucepan (about 3 tablespoons). Pop pasta back into the pan, add 1/3 cup pesto and the spinach leaves and place back on the heat for a few minutes to warm the pesto and spinach leaves through the pasta as you toss together. Remove from heat, divide between bowls, top with hemp seeds if you wish and an extra grind of black pepper and serve.