Creamy Green Protein Pasta

This is the pasta I make when I want to feel like I've properly nourished myself without any of the faff, everything blitzes into one glorious green sauce and the pasta does the rest. It's an easy one to batch and eat across a couple of days too, which is exactly what I do when things get busy. With 45g of protein, your full day's fibre, and 10 out of your 30 weekly plant points in one bowl, this is about as gut-friendly and high-protein as pasta gets.

Why it's nutritionally good

• ~45g protein per portion, from the edamame, peas, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, almonds and pasta working together

• A full day's fibre in one bowl, largely thanks to the edamame, peas, spinach and whole wheat pasta

• 10+ plant foods in one dish, edamame, peas, spinach, hemp seeds, garlic, almonds, sundried tomatoes and artichokes among them, putting a serious dent in your weekly plant diversity goal

• B vitamins, including B12, from the nutritional yeast

• Healthy fats and magnesium from the hemp seeds and almonds

• Iron and folate from the spinach and legumes

This is a fantastic post-run meal, but it's extremely filling, down to all the protein and fibre, so depending on how hungry you are, you can make a smaller portion and still hit a load of protein while keeping the overall calories down.

Ingredients Serves 2

1 cup edamame beans (cooked)

1 cup peas (cooked)

4 cups fresh spinach (or 1 cup frozen)

4 tbsp hemp seeds (one of the highest-protein seeds—I buy them in bulk and add to everything)

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp miso paste

3 cloves roasted garlic

Lemon juice

¾ cup almonds (soaked for 10 minutes in hot water for extra creaminess, optional)

½ cup water or plant-based milk (for blending; adjust for consistency)

2 portions whole wheat pasta (or any pasta of choice)

¼ cup sundried tomatoes (chopped)

¼ cup artichoke hearts (chopped)

Salt & black pepper, to taste

1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for extra richness)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Blend the sauce

In a blender, add cooked edamame, peas, spinach, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, miso paste, roasted garlic, almonds, lemon, and water/milk.

Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

2.Cook the pasta

Cook the whole wheat pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to the pot.

3. Mix & Serve

Pour the green sauce over the pasta and toss to coat.

Top with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and extra hemp seeds.

4. Enjoy!

Serve warm and enjoy this gut-healthy, high-fiber, and protein-packed meal!