I was inspired by a recent trip to Carluccios to try and make a dish motivated by their flavours. I really love the spinach and courgette pasta dish (penne giardiniera) on their menu and wanted something similar. I had an idea to make a pesto using spinach instead of basil and it worked really well. Definitely have to make it again! I also used some Orzo pasta which is new to me but it is kind of like rice but starchier. I hope you like this recipe!
Recipe (serves 4)
- 300g Orzo pasta
- 4 courgettes cut into strips
- 200g washed spinach
Sauce
- 25g grated parmesan
- 50g walnuts
- 120g washed spinach
- 8 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper
Method
- Whizz up all the pesto sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
- Boil the courgettes in the microwave for 4 minutes.
- Cook the pasta.
- Add the sauce, courgettes and spinach to the pan and cook until the spinach has wilted.
- Serve with grated parmesan on top.
This is really tasty and so quick to do. I love pesto and it is really healthy too!
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