Creamy Veggie Filled Pesto Pasta
There’s a pasta I love here — it’s a creamy pesto gnocchi and the sauce is TO DIE for. But I’m fairly certain it’s not the healthiest option, ha. Enter this sauce and pasta. It’s everything you want in a sauce — it’s creamy, herb filled, and veggie packed. Plus the ingredients make it protein packed. Paneer? The magic ingredient of India. I’m convinced it has super powers. If you’re in America, I’d use cottage cheese as a substitute and it would provide the same nutrients and protein amounts. I made mine with lentil pasta for some added protein AND my delicious Copycat Montreal Chicken Recipe. Sweet Faye interrupted my photos and declared, “I like it!” It was a huge healthy choice for our family that we’ll definitely repeat.
Creamy Veggie Filled Pesto Pasta
serves 4-6 — 30 minutes
2 tbs ghee or oil of your choice
2 medium zucchinis, diced
1.5 medium onions, diced
1 head of garlic, minced (about 12-15 cloves)
1/4 cup pesto
200 grams paneer (or cottage cheese)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
400 grams spaghetti noodles
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once your water is boiling, add 2 tsp salt and noodles. Cook according to the package.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium high heat and add ghee. Add your zucchini and onions to the pan with a sprinkle of salt. Saute your zucchini and onions for 7-9 minutes until soft and tender. Add garlic once the zucchini is soft and tender. Cook for an additional minute.
To your blender, add the zucchini noodles, paneer (or cottage cheese), parmesan, and pesto. Blend on high until smooth.
Once your noodles are cooked, reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining. Once drained, return the noodles to the pot and pour sauce over top. Use the pasta water to your discretion based off of how thin/thick you want the sauce to be (I used about 1/2 a cup).
Serve warm with my Montreal Chicken recipe!