Perfect Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

"Pesto pasta is one of my all-time favourite meals. Whether it is served for a Sunday night supper, after arriving home from a weekend away, or as a super-quick and tasty weeknight meal. It is always a sure-fire winner. This is the version I most commonly make as I find mung bean fettuccine works an absolute treat. But these days there are so many whole, gluten-free pasta replacements available from your local wholefood store. So far I have tried black bean, mung bean, edamame, brown rice and soy bean pastas. You can also make the pesto ahead of time and freeze it in batches if you have basil growing in abundance." ~ Harriet Birrell.

Pasta:

1 packet (200 g) mung bean fettuccine

Pesto:

1 cup Cashew ‘parmesan' (see page 272)
100 g (2 cups tightly packed) basil
4 Tbs coconut aminos
1 tsp lemon zest

To Serve:

2 Tbs pine nuts, toasted
1 Tbs basil

Method

Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta and simmer for 5–10 minutes.

Add the pesto ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine. If you are in the great outdoors and not using a food processor, finely chop the basil and stir the pesto ingredients together in a bowl.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add the pesto mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and basil leaves before serving.

Credits: This is an edited extract from Whole by Harriet Birrell published by Hardie Grant Books $50.00 and is available where all good books are sold.

Photo Credits: © Nikole Ramsay.