Broccoli Pea Pesto Salad
Difficulty level: Easy
500g (17.6 oz) fusilli pasta (or any pasta you have)
2 slices of stale grain bread
75g (2.6 oz) pine nuts
75g (2.6 oz) fresh or frozen peas
150g (5.2 oz) green olives (optional)
Bunch of rocket or salad leaves of your choice
Pesto
2 cups of broccoli florets
1 cup of basil leaves
2/3 cups of olive oil
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 teaspoons of lemon zest
4 cloves of garlic
Pinch of salt and pepper
1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
3. Make the breadcrumbs by blitzing in food processor. Put onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook for 7 minutes or until lightly browned and feel dry. Set aside to cool.
4. Put a medium sized pan on a low heat and dry fry the pine nuts. Shake the pan frequently to stop the nuts burning. When slightly browned, remove from stove and set aside to cool.
5. Bring a pot of water to boil on high heat. Cook the broccoli for 30 seconds and then remove (keep the water) and plunge into iced water (to stop the cooking process).
6. Add the peas to the broccoli water and cook for 3 minutes. Once cooked, drain, and set aside.
7. Put the broccoli into a food processor with the rest of the pesto ingredients. Blitz until combined.
8. Put the pasta in a large bowl. Add the pesto and mix to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
9. Sprinkle with pine nuts and breadcrumbs just before serving.