Nutrition expert Jess has concocted the perfect lunch, giving you a chance to impress your friends with the greenest dish they will ever consume. It’s packed with cavalo nero, a leafy green veg that is similar to kale, but slightly sweeter and more tender, and a great source of vitamins and folic acid. Combine this with caramelised garlic and ricotta for a delicious, nourishing spaghetti sauce.  Pasta makes a great midday meal, being a complex carbohydrate, meaning it slowly releases energy to help you power through the afternoon.

Super Green Spaghetti Recipe

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Equipment: Blender or food processor, large saucepan, frying pan

Suitable for vegetarians.
For a vegan option, replace the parmesan and ricotta for dairy-free substitutes.

Ingredients

150g spaghetti

60g parmesan

4 cloves of garlic

200g cavolo nero – remove tough stalks & rinse leaves

2 tablespoon pine nuts

30g ricotta cheese

Salt and pepper

Method

1. Roast 4 cloves of garlic, skin on, with a drizzle of olive oil, in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes, or until soft. (Another good way to tell it is cooked is that your kitchen will begin to smell amazing!)
2. While this is roasting, dry fry the pine nuts in a frying pan until lightly browned. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, cook the spaghetti according to instructions, adding the cavolo nero for the final 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a steamer if you have one.
4. Carefully remove the cavolo nero from the pasta water. Place the cavalo nero, parmesan and peeled roasted garlic into a high power blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Drain the pasta, then stir in the sauce and ricotta.
6. Serve up and garnish with pine nuts, and additional ricotta cheese to taste.

More pasta recipes:

Prawn Pesto Pasta

Turkey Meatballs Spaghetti & Courgetti Bolognese

Mac-No-Cheese

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