This pasta dish is one I often throw together for dinner, each time with slightly different greens (usually whatever I have in fridge). It always, always satisfies and is truly so easy. Just a nice quick dinner idea.

The below quantities make a good medium sized pan full, plenty for one meal with leftovers or two small meals. Leftovers can be heated for the next day (at which point you could add tuna if you like, or even make into a pasta bake). If not enough is left for another meal I’d suggest serving what you have left (warmed) with toasted sourdough spread with avocado (and a squeeze of lemon or lime).

Ingredients

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon (for the juice)
• Broccoli, about 1 cup of florets
• Zucchini, 1 medium zucchini
• Asparagus (optional), ½ a bunch, cut into pieces
• Spinach and/or rocket (optional), about a cup full
• Herbs (either dry or fresh – oregano and parsley)
• Buckwheat pasta, 1 cup dry pasta
• Seeds for topping (pumpkin and/or sunflower and/or hemp seeds)
• Cheese (mozzarella and/or parmesan)
• Salt and pepper

Method

In a pan add a nice splash of olive oil, chopped garlic, broccoli and zucchini and sauté on low heat for a few mins. Add other greens, lemon juice, a little water, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer on low for a few more mins. Then turn heat off and leave pan for a moment (it’s nice to have the veggies only just cooked, so that the broccoli is still firm)

Cook pasta. In a saucepan bring water to the boil then add pasta. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add pasta to the greens. Turn heat on low again and toss pasta through quickly until all is warm.

Serve topped with seeds, grated cheese (I love a little parmesan and mozzarella) and if you like roasted nuts and cracked pepper.

Tips:

• Buy pre-grated mozzarella and a keep bag in freezer, when you need some take out a handful, allow to defrost then add to pasta. Cheese keeps well in freezer for a few months.
• Tuna is also nice tossed through this pasta, just add to greens to warm then mix all with pasta.
• If you have any dry white wine, adding a dash to the greens when sautéing adds lovely flavour
• You could try other pastas – eg. corn pasta, wholewheat pasta
• You could use other greens – chopped silverbeet, green beans, peas, snow peas or chopped kale for example
• This pasta is also nice made into a pasta bake. Rather than serving in a bowl, add pasta and greens to a baking dish, top with grated mozzarella, and a little parmesan, then bake until cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Serve with seeds on top and if you like a side of green salad. (You can also toss nuts through the pasta before topping with cheese and baking. Walnuts or roasted almonds work beautifully.)

Gestational Diabetes –

This is a very suitable dish for those with GDM. Buckwheat pasta has a low GI so is a great choice of pasta and the sauce being full of greens is nutritious and wonderful for us (and baby) during pregnancy. What you need to consider is the quantity of pasta – the ideal amount to enjoy at a meal varies among women. If unsure I would suggest you speak with your Dietitian or feel free to reach out to me via email or social media.