Courgette Linguine with Cashew Pesto

tytania
Sat, 25 Jul 2015 16:25:09 +0000
Food Diary, Italian, Quick Meals, Recipes, Vegetarian, courgette linguine, courgette linguine with vegan cashew rocket pesto, courgette linguine with vegan pesto, dairy free recipes, gluten free recipes, vegan courgette linguine, vegan recipes, vegan summer recipes, vegetarian recipes, zuchini linguine with vegan pesto

Courgette Linguine with Vegan Cashew Rocket Pesto and slow roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Broad Beans

This is an almost entirely raw dish, which means that it retains all of the nutrients in its highest form, as it has not been heated. The only part of this dish that is cooked are the broad beans, garlic, chili, and shallot. I slowly roast the tomatoes to release certain health benefits, but at a very low temperature to keep other nutrients intact, no more than 50 degrees. It is also dairy free for people who suffer from lactose problems or are vegan. If you have none of these conditions, add an interesting aged cheese. Recently while in Greece, I tried an aged Feta and mixed in oregano. It is also gluten free, as the noodles are made from the courgette itself, so anybody with IBS or celiac disease can easily digest this dish. If you want and you are not vegan, add some prawns or crayfish. Even grilled chicken breast goes very well.

Nutrition: Lycopene, which is what gives tomatoes their red colour, and is proven to intercept cancer’s ability to make the connections it needs to attach to a healthy blood supply. Therefore, they are a preventative tool against cancer cells. The beans, cashew nuts, and pine nuts provide this vegan dish with a balanced dose of protein. The rocket in the pesto is incredibly packed with vitamins A, K, C, and beta-carotene which your body needs to protect itself from cancer, and it also enhances bone and skin health just to name a few. It is also rich in folic acid and various important minerals such as copper and iron. Courgettes are packed with anti-oxidants and are very low in calorie balancing out the higher calorie content of the nuts, seeds, and beans in this dish.

Makes 4 portions

2 courgettes “noodled” with a Vegetable “noodle” maker (order gefu at gefu.com)

4 cloves of garlic, slivered

2 red chilis finely diced

2 shallots finely chopped

8 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons vegan pesto (see recipe below)

3 cups of peeled fresh broad beans (frozen is also ok)

150 grams pitted kalamata olives

2 large handfuls of fresh basil leaves

2 cups of pine nuts

40 cherry tomatoes halved

sea salt and pepper to taste

8 tablespoons vegan pesto (see recipe below)

Vegan pesto:

200 grams of rocket

200 grams of cashews

½ bottle extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon of sea salt to taste

For the pesto: Place all ingredients into a food processor. Store any remaining contents covered with olive oil to seal. Can last up to two months in refrigerator.

First make your vegan pesto and then set aside. Preheat your oven to 50 C. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay out cherry tomatoes facing up. Sprinkle the tomatoes generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for several hours if you can, but one is fine too, they just wont be as “sun-roasted”. Place your peeled broad beans in a pot of boiling salted water for about 3 or four minutes and drain. cool down in cold water and peel.

Use your noodle device and starting from the bottom, spiral the courgette into the noodles. Put the noodles in a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, take a large pan and heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the shallot. Fry 2 minutes, then add garlic and chili. Fry a couple more minutes on medium heat. Add your broad beans and olives and sauté another minute. Add vegan pesto. Take off heat. Add noodles, basil and pine nuts (leaving a small amount of pine nuts and basil for the topping). Top each serving with 12-15 cherry tomatoes and remaining pine nuts and basil. Serve.