Herbed Greens and Lentil Penne

The perfect pasta dish from to tuck into when it's chilly outside, from the CSIRO's Women's Health & Nutrition Guide published by Macmillan Australia.

Serves: 4

Hands-on: 25 minutes

Cooking: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 bunch basil, leaves picked
1 cup baby rocket leaves
2 spring onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Italian spice booster (see below)
3 x 400 g tins lentils, drained and rinsed
4 cups baby spinach leaves
4 cups cooked wholegrain penne

Method

1. Place the oil, lemon zest and juice, basil, rocket, spring onion, garlic and spice booster in a food processor and blend until smooth, adding a little water, if needed, to loosen.

2. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl.

3. Add the lentils, baby spinach and penne, season with freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine. Serve.

Italian Spice Booster:

This is the go-to seasoning blend for pasta sauces, but you can also sprinkle it on vegetables or potatoes for extra flavour, or mix it into salad dressings.

MAKES ABOUT ⅔ CUP

2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Herbed Greens and Lentil Penne recipe extracted from The CSIRO Women’s Health & Nutrition Guide by Dr Jane Bowen, Associate Professor Bev Muhlhausler & Gemma Williams (Macmillan Australia, $39.99). Photography by Rob Palmer.