Spinach Pesto Pasta With Crispy Breadcrumbs

A easy pesto pasta dish that looks and tastes divine. The smooth pesto pasta is perfect with the salty and crunchy breadcrumbs.

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine British, European

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword spinach pesto, spinach pesto pasta, spinach recipes, vegan pesto pasta recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Servings

Calories 547

150 g White Bread i've used a soft white farmhouse loaf, but any bread will do just fine
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt I've used maldon

Preheat your oven to 200˚c/390˚f (fan oven).
Roughly chop the 150g of white bread and place into a food processor. Whizz until the bread turns into fine breadcrumbs.
Pour the breadcrumbs onto a baking tray and cover with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Toss the breadcrumbs with your hands until the olive oil is evenly incorporated into the breadcrumbs.
Place the baking tray into the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes or until some of the breadcrumbs are starting to turn golden brown.
Remove the breadcrumbs from the oven and stir to ensure some of the less crispy breadcrumbs mix with the ones on top. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. As the breadcrumbs cool they'll become even more crispy and crunchy.

Place the 30g of basil, 50g of toasted pine nuts, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 clove of chopped garlic, 50 ml olive oil, juice of 1/2 a lemon and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast into a blender or food processor. Blitz into a smooth pesto.
Now tip in the 200g baby spinach and whizz again until all the spinach has been incorporated into the pesto. Add a few tablespoons of water if your pesto is too thick.
Cook your 500g of pasta to packet instructions until aldente. Then drain and mix will the spinach pesto.
Serve the pesto pasta with the crispy breadcrumbs heaped over each dish. Optionally I also like to fold in some freshly steamed kale or cavolo nero to add some further greens.