Cleanse Approved: Green Goodness Chickpea Pasta

Recipe by Zarah Zanon

This tasty dish is easy to make and is delicious served both hot or cold. Although shop-bought pesto can be an easy substitute if time is of the essence 🙂

Homemade is always best! Enjoy!

PS. It’s also totally detox approved!

Ingredients:

For pesto
• 4 cups of basil leaves (about 140g basil)
• 1/3 cup lightly toasted macadamia nuts (in dry pan)
• 1 clove garlic
• 3-4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 2 TBS lemon juice (can also add 1 tsp lemon zest)
• 1 tsp herb salt
For pasta
• Happy Earth People Pasta eg: Chickpea Pasta
• Green veg (organic if possible) eg: broccoli (tender-stem is best), peas, baby spinach,
baby marrows, kale
Optional topping:
• Vegan parmesan
• Black pepper
• Chopped toasted nuts/seeds

Method:

1. Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender (eg:
Nutrilbullet) and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if you’d pref er a thinner
consistency.
2. Lightly stem green veg until slightly soft (don’t overdue it as the veg will become
“mushy”)
3. Cook pasta according to instructions.
4. To serve: mix steamed veg and some of the pesto into the pasta. Spoon into bowls
and top with desired toppings.

Notes:
– For the pesto, you can also play around with different flavours eg: spinach, kale, rocket,
coriander, or a combination
– Leftover homemade pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to
a week

About the author:

After struggling with various health ailments for many years (including IBS, hormonal and skin problems and constant fatigue), I realised that there was no “quick fix”, and I was not willing to follow the conventional route of medication and “popping pills” everyday. I know and believe that I have been created perfectly by my creator, who has designed my body in such a way to heal itself when given the right nutrition and tools.

My mentor, Mary-Ann Shearer once said, “We spend so much time looking after our material things such as our cars, ensuring that they receive the best possible care in terms of the right fuel, oil, regular services etc. but we neglect and abuse our own bodies which have been entrusted to us to look after. How much more important are we than our material possessions?”

After many life lessons I now find myself sharing my knowledge as a teacher, encouraging my students to not only excel academically, but to also look after their bodies and environment by eating “God-made” foods, learning to grow and cook their own organic produce and giving back to the community. It is so exciting to be a part of teaching (and always learning) alongside the next generation, as they gain these invaluable skills needed to survive in our rapidly changing world.

For more delicious recipes and wonderful insights follow Zarah on Instagram or check out her blog Z For Zest.