Green vege-packed spaghetti

Serves: 4

Time to make: 30 mins

Ingredients

2 heads broccoli, broken in florets (8 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
⅓ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese, plus 2 extra tablespoons, for serving
1 lemon, grated zest and juice
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g wholemeal spaghetti
2 courgettezucchiniXszucchini, summer squashX, sliced
1 green capsicum, diced
¾ cup fresh or frozen peas
⅓ cup semi-dried tomatoes, chopped
⅓ cup fresh basil

Instructions

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1 Place half the broccoli, all garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice and oil in a processor. Process until a chunky purée consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

2 Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente. Drain, leaving some cooking water in pan. Add broccoli and pine nut purée. Toss using a fork to coat pasta.

3 Plunge courgettes, remaining broccoli, capsicum and peas in boiling water. Leave for 2 minutes then drain.

4 Add remaining vegetables and basil to spaghetti with remaining oil. Heat through. Toss lightly and season.

5 Serve garnished with fresh basil and extra parmesan.

Variations

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free pasta.

HFG tip

Pasta made from whole grains is higher in fibre than white pasta. We’ve called it wholemeal pasta but your pasta may be called wholewheat pasta.
Cook pasta in lightly salted water until al dente – ie. until it is tender but still has some bite!
Once cooked, drain pasta, leaving a little of the cooking water still in the pan. This stops the pasta sticking.
You can make up the broccoli pesto in advance and keep chilled in the fridge for a day.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 552 cal

Kilojoules 2310 kJ

Protein 27 g

Total fat 22 g

Saturated fat 5 g

Carbohydrates 55 g

Sugar 9 g

Dietary fibre 20 g

Sodium 210 mg

Calcium 250 mg

Iron 6.5 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.