PASTA with PUMPKIN, SPINACH & ALMONDS

Not every healthy meal plan allows one to eat pasta, however I believe in moderation. Deprivation of all the foods you love often results in some pretty intense binging. Luckily, Michelle Bridges allows a few pasta recipes throughout her body transformation program. This recipe was kept quite simple to its original, however I used gluten-free pasta as I find it less heavy than regular pasta. No cheese was used in my dish as compared to the original (which allowed for 115g ricotta), which gave way to slightly more pasta per serve for the same calorie amount. Roasted sweet potato would also go wonderfully here in the place of pumpkin. I've made this dish three times in the last few weeks and the only problem I've encountered with it is that you want to eat more than your serve! 

Ingredients

• 300g peeled pumpkin, cut into 1-2cm cubes
• 5g (1 teaspoon) olive /rice bran oil
• 150g gluten-free pasta shells/spirals
• 30g almonds, chopped in half or flaked
• 2 large garlic cloves (10g), peeled & thinly sliced
• 50g baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 210 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the chopped pumpkin with 1/2 of the oil (1/2 teaspoon) and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper. Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the prepared tray. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden and soft. 

3. Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the pasta is just tender (or al dente (slightly hard) if you prefer). Remove from the stove and drain the cooked pasta under cold running water. Reserve (keep) a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to use in step 5.  

4. Meanwhile, toast the almonds over low heat in a small frying pan for a few minutes until they become fragrant. Shake the pan frequently to allow all almonds to toast evenly. No oil is required. 

5. Once the pasta is cooked, use the same pan to add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil and stir to coat over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until just soft. Add the baby spinach and the reserved pasta water to the pan and cook, stirring, until the spinach is just wilted. 

6. Combine the pumpkin, the pasta, the almonds and the garlic & spinach in a large serving bowl. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on top and toss well. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

Approx. calories / 515 per serve 

x Emily