This is one of my favourite dishes – mostly because pesto is one of my absolute favourite foods. Â It wasn’t always a dish my two younger children enjoyed. Â There would be loads of groans when I served this up – I would do it anyway because it’s one of my favourites and then just use all of my best powers of persuasion to get them to eat it. Â Kids do so much of their tasting with their eyes – and the result is usually ‘I don’t like it!’ before they have even tasted it. Â What is it about green foods that almost universally produces this response?
But all that changed last year.  I made this dish – using all the veg I had left in the fridge – before heading away on holidays.  I popped it in a cooler bag with some plates and cutlery to have for dinner on the road.  We drove for a few hours and stopped at a little roadside stop around dinner time.  It was really dark and all we had for light was the light on my iPhone.  I dished this up and passed it out to the fam.  The kids were all ravenous and couldn’t see what they were eating.  What a bonus that was!  My son, who usually complains the most about dishes he doesn’t like the look of  – dug into his bowl of pesto pasta and mid-way through asked “Mum what is this? It’s soooo amazing?”  “Mate its Mums pesto pasta,” I said and I shone my phone light on it.  “Mum, it’s my new favourite – I love it”.  And from that point onwards he requests this meal about once every week and refers to it as ‘Green bolognese’.  Just goes to show how powerful it is to get children to use their tastebuds – which are the part of your body designed for tasting – rather than their eyes.  I might just have to use this tactic for a few other dishes he regularly complains about!
Here’s a link to the pesto recipe I use in this dish https://nourishinglove.com.au/recipe/pesto-wholefood-gaps-paleo-gf-df
- 1 packet buckwheat pasta or use zucchini noodles (3-4 zucchini's) for grain-free
- 1 batch pesto https://nourishinglove.com.au/recipe/pesto-wholefood-gaps-paleo-gf-df
- 3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 large onion diced finely
- 2-3 cloves garlic optional (as the pesto already contains garlic)
- 4-5 cups vegetables I regularly use a mix of capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms, baby spinach and warrigal
- 700 g chicken thighs or breast optional - leave out for vegan
- 1 dash celtic sea salt or himalayan salt to taste
- 1 dash pepper to taste
- 100 g parmesan optional (leave out for DF and vegan)
- Cook buckwheat pasta according to instructions - drain & set aside.
- If using zucchini noodles, spiralize and blanch for 1-2 minutes in boiling water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta or zoodles are cooking, add oil to frying pan or skillet and stirfry chicken or skip this step for vegan.
- If needed add some extra oil to frying pan or skillet and stirfy vegetables until they just start to soften.
- Place pasta, chicken (if using) and vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
- Add pre-made pesto (see link above for recipe) and mix using a large wooden spoon or pop on a pair of food-safe gloves and massage pesto through the pasta - veggie mix until everything is well covered.
- Grate parmesan and place it in a small bowl. Have this on the tables so that those that love parmesan can add a generous sprinkle. Or leave off for DF or vegan option.
- Serve into bowls. ENJOY!!
Leave a Reply