Low-Carb Spinach Pesto Pasta Salad
By Claire Georgiou, Reboot Naturopath, B.HSc ND
I’m a little mad for pesto at the moment as we have a crazy amount of basil growing in our garden (thanks to the intense humid weather, the garden is growing like crazy!). Basil has amazing medicinal properties due to its specialized antioxidant content; orientin and vicenin are two water-soluble flavonoids found in basil which support anti-inflammatory and anti-aging actions while also offering anti-microbial benefits. Enjoy this pasta-free pesto pasta!
Ingredients
Zuccini Pasta
- 2 – 3 large zucchini
Salad
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup (100 g) black beans (cooked or BPA free canned)
- 4 tbsp sun dried tomatoes
- 4 tbsp currants
- 4 tbsp chopped walnuts
Pesto
- 1 large handful of firmly packed basil leaves
- 1/2 cup (70 g) pine nuts
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup (60 – 125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Wash all produce well.
- Feed the zucchini through a vegetable spiralizer, mandolin to form zucchini curls or ribbons or slice thinly with a vegetable peeler into thin strips.
- In a high speed blender, blend until a smooth consistency forms the pesto ingredients.
- Lightly sauté or dip zucchini fettuccine in boiling water to heat up the noodles (optional).
- Toss the zucchini pasta with the pesto and other salad ingredients and serve immediately. (Add the amount of pesto to your liking).
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Substitutions
- Zucchini – carrots
- Baby Tomato – tomato
- Red onion – brown onion, scallions(shallots), spring onions
- Black beans – blue lentils, pinto beans, borlotti beans, chickpeas
- Currants – goji berries, sultanas
- Walnuts – cashews, almonds, pine nuts
- Pine nuts – cashews, macadamia, blanched almonds
- Olive oil – coconut oil, avocado, hemp oil
Calories: 230
Fat: 21g
Trans Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 180mg
Carbohydrates: 10g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 5g