Avocado Pesto Pasta Bake.

---

This Avocado Pesto Pasta Bake is the ultimate comfort food. An incredibly creamy (thanks to the avocado), vegan pesto sauce gets paired with chewy al-dente pasta, fresh green veggies and a sprinkling of crispy breadcrumbs. So easy its absolutely perfect for a few days meal prep or stress-free mid-week dinner, full of green plant goodness!

Serves: 3 | Total Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g wholemeal pasta (gluten free if needed)

• 1 courgette, very thinly sliced

• 150g frozen peas

• Large handful of panko bread crumbs

Pesto Sauce

• 1 - 2 (100-200g) avocados, peeled and pitted

• 85ml unsweetened almond milk

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 3 garlic cloves

• Large handful of fresh basil leaves

• 1 heaped tsp dried mixed herbs

• 1/4 tbsp Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, grill or fan setting

2. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, until al-dente. Once cooked, drain out the water and place back into the saucepan.

3. Add both the courgette and peas into the pan with the pasta and mix well.

4. Make the pesto sauce by adding all the ingredients into a powerful food processor or blender until smooth. Once smooth, pour the sauce in with the pasta and mix again until the pasta and veggies are fully coated.

5. Spoon the pasta into a baking dish and sprinkle the entirety of the top with the breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.