Pasta is my favourite food. It is amazing that it is only making its first appearance in my twelfth post. This low FODMAP spinach, basil & walnut pesto pasta is a bright, fresh, and nutrient-packed pasta dish. The pesto will keep for a few days in the fridge. Some inspiration was taken from this Karlijn’s Kitchen recipe.
Spinach: Many spinach pesto recipes call for frozen spinach. I have only ever made this dish with fresh spinach and it tastes great. It also keeps all the nutrients of the fresh spinach that get lost if frozen.
Parmesan: I include plant-based parmesan in the recipe. Dairy parmesan is usually not vegetarian as it contains animal rennet or enzymes. You can find vegetarian parmesan if you do some research. I have found a low FODMAP-friendly vegan parmesan that I love from Go Veggie (available in the US).
Pasta: To make the dish lighter, you can use courgetti/zoodles. My favourite is a 50/50 courgetti-spaghetti mix. The pasta will need to be cooked fresh each time. Cooked and cooled pasta (and rice, potatoes etc.) forms something called resistant starch. This can cause symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome (see The Low FODMAP Diet: Myths & Facts).
High FODMAP Substitutions
Below are some high FODMAP substitution ideas for the spinach & walnut pest pasta. Why do you need these? For the reintroduction and personalisation phases of the low FODMAP diet. It is important to get as many valuable prebiotic FODMAPs back into your diet to increase gut health and build up long-term tolerance to FODMAPs.
- 1 clove garlic (~1/4 clove, ~1 g pp is medium FODMAP in fructans) or 2 cloves (high FODMAP) instead of garlic oil in the pesto
Low FODMAP Spinach & Walnut Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large pan
- Small frying pan/skillet
Ingredients
For the pesto
- 150 g (~5 cups) fresh spinach (frozen will do as well)
- 15 g (~handful) fresh basil (more to taste)
- 1 ½ tbsp garlic oil
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp boiling water (to help with blending, more if needed)
- 40 g (~¼ cup dried/~½ cup fresh) vegan parmesan (see notes above, sub. regular parmesan/sharp cheese)
- 40 g (~⅓ cup) walnuts
- 1 (3-4 tbsp juice) lemon (juiced)
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the pasta/base
- 400 g dried gluten-free pasta (~100 g pp, half if using courgetti/zoodles as well, needs to be cooked fresh each time, see note above)
- 400 g courgette/zucchini (optional)
- 200 g cherry tomatoes (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if using tomatoes)
To top
- Fresh basil (optional)
- Vegan parmesan (see notes above, sub. regular parmesan/sharp cheese)
- Salt, pepper & chilli flakes to taste
Instructions
- Blend spinach, basil, oil and hot water in a food processor (in stages if needed). Add in all other pesto ingredients and season to taste. Add more salt, garlic oil, lemon, basil to balance flavours as preferred.
- If using: Make courgetti/zoodles with a spiralizer or ribbon with a vegetable peeler. Half the cherry tomatoes.
- Boil pasta according to packet instructions.
- If using tomatoes: Heat olive oil on medium-low heat in a small frying pan. Lightly sauté the cherry tomatoes, stirring frequently, until softened (~4 minutes).
- If using courgette/zucchini: Cook courgetti/zoodles either for 2 minutes in the microwave (1 minute for smaller portions) or add to the pasta water for the last 2 (1) minutes.
- Reserve ~½ cup of cooking water and drain pasta. Stir the pesto into the pasta along with the courgetti/zoodles and tomatoes (if using). Add in splashes of pasta water as needed to make it silky.
- Split pasta between four plates. Top with some fresh basil, vegan parmesan, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste.
