“No hay mal que por bien no venga”

Earlier this month Banza pasta sent me a box of pasta. They provided a challenge to post different recipes using Banza pasta with the hashtag: #resolvetoeatmorepasta . Here are some other recipes using Banza pasta: vegan mac and cheese and 5 bean soup.

Usually in the beginning of the year, New Years resolutions means eating healthier. As many people consume white pasta, they may eliminate it in the new year. No need to remove pasta when Banza pasta is made with chick pea flour and filled with protein and fiber! Honestly, you don’t have to remove white pasta if you love it, I just wouldn’t make it a daily meal as it is lower in fiber, protein, and nutrients.

In my house, we don’t have white pasta since my husband enjoys the Banza pasta with me. We also have quinoa pasta from Trader Joe’s. One time we tried the black bean pasta from Trader Joe’s, I didn’t mind it, but my husband couldn’t eat it (I think it was the stickiness and the color).

I enjoy trying different pasta flavors out there. Plus, I am not Italian so I am not too picky with my pasta.

A couple weeks ago my friend and I had a girls night out to Trader Joe’s. This is how adult-ing girl’s night out look when your friends have kids and when I love food shopping. We went at 7 pm and it was the best time to go! My husband won’t go back with me because it is a mad house everytime we go and he gets ran over by carts. Me on the other hand, enjoy taking my time, reading labels, seeing their new items, and thinking of new recipes I can make with their items.

This pesto wasn’t a new item for them, but it was for me. I got the vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto and was waiting for the perfect moment to make it….which was tonight. Let me tell you, it was AHHHHMAZZING! You would think you were eating normal pesto with cheese, but absolutely no cheese in this one! I may go stock up and freeze some in ice cube trays next time I go OR may try to make my own in the summer when my family’s farm has an over abundance of basil. In the meantime, I can’t wait months to have this pesto again.

Pesto isn’t hard to make, but honestly having it already made helped make this dish an under 30 minute dish. The veggies took 25 minutes to roast, the chicken took 10 min to cook, and the pasta took 7 minutes to cook. So when you cook the chicken and pasta when the veggies are roasting, then add everything together with the pesto, it takes less than 30 minutes for a dish full of veggies, protein, healthy fats, fiber, and complex carbs.

So feel free to recreate this dish and add your favorite veggies and protein source OR keep it just pesto, veggies, and Banza pasta for a vegan and high protein dish.

Green Veggie Pesto Pasta

Recipe by Chrissie Bittner, RD

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Go green with this veggie loaded vegan pesto, chick pea pasta bowl. High fiber, protein, and deliciousness!

Ingredients

• 1/2 bunch of asparagus, cut in thirds

• 1 cup broccoli

• 1.5 cup brussel sprouts, halved

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

• 8 oz chicken, cubed

• 2 cups banza pasta, dry

• 4 cups water

• 1/2 cup pesto

• S & P

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• Add veggies to baking sheet, drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with S&P. Bake for 25 minutes.
• While veggies are baking, heat pasta water with a little salt.
• Once boiling, add pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet with remaining olive oil, add chicken cubes and S&P. Cook and cover for 5 mins, flip pieces, and cook for another 5 minutes, until internal temperature is 165°F.
• Drain and rinse pasta, add to cooked chicken, cover with pesto, and add veggies. Fold until pesto is covering veggies, chicken, and pasta.
• Enjoy!