Edamame Spaghetti with Basil Pesto, Artichokes + Pine Nuts

The perfect low-carb, high fiber lunch dish. Full of nourishing veggies to keep you feeling full till dinner and slow-releasing carbs to give you a sustainable energy boost.

It’s official. My days of slaving away in the kitchen to create complicated meals is well and truly over. Chloe turned 18 months the other day and things have got hectic. Trying to cook (or do anything productive for that matter), with a noisy toddler running around is near impossible. My go-to these days are simple, healthy meals that you can prepare in around 15 mins. When possible, I try to cook big batches that last a couple of days in the fridge, or ideally, the freezer.

While this spaghetti dish doesn’t freeze, it’s quick to make and has a ton of healthy, filling ingredients. The base ingredient is edamame spaghetti. There are many alternative pastas out there. Personally, I think edamame pasta is the closest to replicating the taste of wheat-based pasta. The main advantage over traditional pasta is that it is much lower in carbohydrates. This is particularly helpful for those having trouble controlling their blood sugars, such as in type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes.

The reason why it is lower in carbs is because it contains lots of fiber. The edamame spaghetti I used in this dish has 13g per 50g serving. Fiber is a type of carb but it doesn’t get digested fully into sugar, and passes out undigested. Subtracting the fiber count (13g) away from the total carbs (20g) gives a net carb intake of 7g per serving, which is really low. Ok so that’s the carb count lesson over. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients (serves 3 )

150g edamame dried spaghetti (approx. 2 large handfuls)
170g fresh grilled artichoke hearts (I used 1 pack Monterey Farms ArtiHearts)
230g sliced mushrooms (I used Organic Nature’s Promise sliced)  
27g (approx. ½ cup) sliced sundried tomatoes in olive oil
½ cup fresh basil pesto
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chopped, jarred garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
½ cup pine nuts

Instructions

1.       Boil four cups of water on the stove and add dried pasta, boil for 3- 5 minutes

2.       Dice grilled artichoke hearts to desired size

3.       Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan and add sliced mushrooms and garlic, heat on medium for 2-3 mins until mushrooms are cooked. Add artichoke hearts. Cook for 1 min

4.       Drain spaghetti and add to pan with vegetables. Add olive oil and pesto and sprinkle salt and pepper

5.       Heat on low and stir thoroughly

6.       Toast pine nuts for 30 seconds

Serve in a bowl and sprinkle pine nuts as needed, enjoy!