I love pasta and pesto. As a combination of the two or in two separate counterparts. I love it.
Ever since I have discovered a delicious way of enjoying pasta without the calories and carbs, aka zucchini pasta. I have been on the hunt for a delicious basil pesto recipe to go with it, that doesn’t sacrifice on flavour and is low in calories. A perfect 5:2 diet recipe!
I am happy to report, that I have finally found the one! Courtesy of Weight Watchers I’ve adapted their recipe. I skip the toasting of the pine nuts completely and just blitz all the ingredients.
Ingredients
Pesto sauce (makes 1 cup, serves 4)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 40g finely grated parmesan for serving
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- salt
Zucchini pasta
- 6 zucchini
- 1 1/2 cup fresh spinach
- rice bran oil spray
- himalayan salt
Method:
To prepare the pasta. Wash the zucchini and cut the ends off. Using a mandolin slicer cut the zucchini julienne style, salt and set aside. You will have lovely little spaghetti strands!
Place all the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blitz.
If you don’t mind eating raw zucchini, place the pesto over the zucchini pasta and top with fresh spinach and mix through.
Otherwise, if you prefer a more spaghetti type feel and taste. All you have to do is cook the zucchini pasta. First, heat a pan to a high heat and spray some oil on the pan. I use rice bran oil as this is lower in calories.
When the pan is ready, fry your zucchini constantly tossing and turning it until it is cooked through. You will know it is cooked when it begins to move and behave like pasta. Mix the pesto sauce and spinach leaves through and top with extra parmesan. Dish up and enjoy x
Serves: 4 Calories: 202 Carbs: 13g Protein: 12g Cholesterol: 5.5mg
Total fat: 12.5g Saturated fat: 4g Fibre: 5g Sugars: 8g
Filed under: 5:2 diet recipes, Health, Italian, Recipes Tagged: 52 diet, 5:2 diet recipes, fasting, gluten free, intermittent fasting, low calorie, low carb, low fat, pesto, recipe ideas, recipes under 500 calories, zucchini, zucchini pasta