Lentil Pasta with Spicy Pepita Pesto

There's a lot to love about lentil pasta. Not only is it made with 100% real food ingredients (no weird additives like many gluten-free products), but it's also naturally high in protein, fiber, and folate—essential nutrients for mamas and developing fetuses. Think of this dish as a superpower prenatal vitamin in the form of real food. Plus, it tastes so good that I’ve tricked my husband into thinking it's "real" pasta on numerous occasions. This Lentil Pasta with Spicy Pepita Pesto is a favorite summer-time weeknight dinner: light, fresh, and ready in minutes.
lentil pasta with spicy pepita pesto, gluten free recipe by Anna, fertility dietitian

SERVES: 4 | ACTIVE TIME: 30 MIN

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups dry lentil pasta
  • 4 cups kale, de-stemmed and shredded
  • Garnish: red chili flakes + extra drizzle of olive oil

Spicy pepita pesto (no cheese):

  • 4 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 jalapeno, diced and seeded (optional)

PREPARATION

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Toss in the kale with the hot pasta, then drain immediately. Set aside.
  • Combine all the pesto ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. 
  • Toss the cooked pasta & kale with pesto. Serve warm and garnish with red chili flakes and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. 

Love this? Check out this blog post for more superfoods to eat while TTC!

Anna Bohnengel
she/her

Anna Bohnengel is a registered dietitian trained at the National Institutes of Health with a decade of experience helping restore hormone health, optimize fertility and enjoy a healthy pregnancy.

After turning her own infertility around—without the medical intervention that doctors had claimed as her only option—she developed FERTILE IN FOUR™, a holistic and results-driven coaching program that puts each woman in the driver’s seat of her own fertility.

Contact me today to learn more or to start your fertility journey

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