this pasta is your crisper drawer’s last chance at becoming someone
ingredients
350g rigatoni or other short pasta
1 small head broccoli, stalk and florets roughly chopped
1 - 2 zucchini, roughly chopped
2 large handfuls baby spinach
60g raw cashews
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems
1 lemon, zest and juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
1 small garlic clove
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Parmesan, finely grated, to serve
method
Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to the boil. Add the broccoli (stalks and florets), zucchini and cashews. Simmer for 10 - 12 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the cashews have softened.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables and cashews to a blender, keeping the cooking water in the saucepan.
Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, according to the packet instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, add the spinach, parsley, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and garlic to the blender with the cooked vegetables and cashews. Add approximately ½ cup of the cooking water, season generously with salt and pepper, and blend until smooth and creamy. Add a little more water as needed to achieve a silky, pourable consistency.
Add the green sauce and a splash of reserved pasta water to the pasta, tossing until the pasta is glossy and generously coated. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra lemon juice, salt or pepper.
Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil, lemon zest, freshly cracked black pepper and a generous snowfall of Parmesan.
Serves 4
