Red Lentil Penne with Charred Broccoli and Almond Pesto

Ingredients

• 170 g red lentil penne
• 250 g broccoli
• 40 g almonds
• 2.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 15 g fresh basil
• 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
• 0.7 tsp fine sea salt
• 150 g cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it with half the fine sea salt. Cut the broccoli into small florets, keeping the tender stem sliced into coins so nothing is wasted.
2. Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds, until they smell sweet and the cut faces are pale gold. Tip them straight out of the hot pan or they will keep darkening and turn bitter.
3. Cook the red lentil penne for 1 minute less than the package time — lentil pasta goes from al dente to soft very fast, so start tasting early. Scoop out a mug of the starchy cooking water before draining.
4. While it boils, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the broccoli in one layer and leave it undisturbed for 3 minutes until the flat faces are properly blackened in patches, then toss and cook 2 minutes more until crisp-tender at the stem.
5. Blitz the toasted almonds, remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, fresh basil, red pepper flakes and remaining salt into a coarse pesto — stop while it still has visible almond grit, which is what gives the sauce body.
6. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the broccoli pan off the heat. Fold in the drained penne and the pesto with 4-5 tbsp of the reserved pasta water, tossing hard for 30 seconds until the sauce turns creamy and coats every piece rather than pooling at the bottom.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories

660

Protein

33.3 g

Fat

30.3 g

Carbs

67.4 g