Lemon, basil and mint pesto pasta
- 20 minutes
- Serves 4
- Kcal374
- Fat12.3g
- Salt0.2g
- Sugar2g


Recipe by: Ryan Riley
| Chef
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 large handfuls fresh basil
- 1 large handful fresh mint
- 1 red chilli
- 40g parmesan
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 300g dried wholemeal pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
- 100g rocket
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Method
- In a small, dry frying pan over a medium heat, toast the pine nuts until they colour lightly.
- Tip into a processor with the lemon zest and juice, and the herbs, chilli and parmesan and whizz until you have a rough paste. With the processor running, drizzle in the oil slowly until you have a vibrant green, loose pesto. Season to taste with black pepper and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking water, then add the pasta back to the pan with the reserved water and the pesto. Mix until combined.
- Add the rocket into a mixing bowl, pour over the red wine vinegar and mix well. Fold the rocket leaves through the pasta and serve.
Serve with steamed green vegetables to get one of your 5 A DAY.
Why not try
Diet, weight and cancer
Learn about our cancer prevention research