Greens are important year-round, but particularly over the winter months to help boost our intake of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals we need to fight bacteria and infection. In this recipe I’ve combined all my favourite greens with gluten free sorghum pasta, delicious salty Kalamatas and a little cheese-like (yet zero cheese involved) flavour from nutritional yeast, to create a heavenly, entirely plant-based and nourishing winter green pasta.

Winter green pasta
GF: DF: SF: V
Serves 4

Ingredients

250 grams sorghum or brown rice pasta
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 brown onion, peeled and diced
1 head broccoli, stalk and florets finely chopped
1 zucchini (150g), grated
1 cup frozen peas
1 / 4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or 1/2 cup pecorino (if non-vegan)
Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add pasta and good pinch of sea salt and cook according to pack instructions. Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup water in the saucepan.

While water is boiling / pasta cooking, start cooking the winter greens mix. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat, add olive oil to warm gently, then add garlic and onion. Sauté three to four minutes, or until translucent.

Add broccoli stalks and florets and zucchini and cook about 6-7 minutes before adding olives, nutritional yeast and peas to cook a further 3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and toss pasta through the pan with vegetables to heat it all together. You can add fresh herbs, rocket or baby spinach should you wish. However the flavour of the olive oil and greens is so delicious as is.

Jacqueline Alwill is a qualified, practicing nutritionist, author of Seasons to Share and director at The Brown Paper Bag.