Leah Itsine’s Green Pasta with Pangrattato
You have to try this! It’s simple, but so flavoursome. You could easily make it vegan by using vegan feta cheese. For a gluten-free meal, use gluten-free pasta and breadcrumbs. This recipe is from Leah Itsine’s new cookbook, Good Food Made Simple.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
3 cups (120 g) chopped kale ¾ cup (100 g) frozen baby peas 4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pasta shells 1 avocado, halved
1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 bunch basil, leaves picked
200 g (7 oz) Danish feta cheese, crumbled
Pangragatto
1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil ½ cup (30 g) panko breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Method
1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium–high heat. Cook the onion for a couple of minutes, then add the kale and cook for a few more minutes. Add the peas and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta well, reserving ¼ cup (60 ml) of the water, and return to the pan.
4. Meanwhile, to make the pangrattato, heat the garlic oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest and cook, stirring regularly, for a few minutes or until crisp and golden. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Pour the vegetable mixture into a blender and add the pasta water, avocado flesh, lemon juice and basil, reserving a few leaves for garnishing. Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
6. Stir the sauce through the pasta. Serve topped with the feta, pangrattato and reserved basil leaves.