Packed with greens, I had to call this pasta with pesto “Super”. Not only is the pesto full of leafy green basil, but the pasta has spinach and spiralized zucchini tossed in it for a much lower carb pasta dish. This salmon is complimented perfectly with the pesto and veggie packed pasta for a nutrient dense, wonderfully yummy meal.
1 Lemon
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 TBSP Pine Nuts
3 cloves Garlic
1 Cup -packed Fresh Basil Leaves
1/4 Cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lb Salmon Filet
3/4 Cup uncooked Brown Rice Penne Pasta
1 Cup Spinach
1 Cup spiralized Zucchini
Himalayan Pink Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Instructions
Pre-heat oven on Broil-high.
Make the Pesto
Zest the lemon and juice 1/2 the lemon. Cut the other half into wedges. Set zest aside. Add 2 tsp of lemon juice to a mini chopper or food processor. Add olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, basil leaves and Parmesan cheese to the mini chopper or food processor and blend until slightly chunky (or smooth if you prefer). Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Prepare the Salmon
Spray a broiler pan with cooking spray. Cut salmon into individual servings and place on broiler pan. Season with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Set aside.
Prepare the Pasta
In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 12-14 minutes.
Prepare the Vegetables for the Pasta
While the pasta cooks, spiralize the zucchini and chop into bite sized spirals (they can get really long) and chop the spinach. Place in a large bowl and gently toss together. Set aside.
When pasta has about 10 minutes left, put the salmon in the oven. Broil for 10 minutes. Remove and let rest while you bring everything together.
Bring it Together
When the pasta is cooked, drain well and let cool for 1 minute. Add to zucchini spinach mixture and gently toss. Add 2-3 TBSP of the pesto sauce and gently toss until well coated.
On individual plates, place the salmon and lemon wedge on one side of the plate. Add the pasta mixture to the other side. Drizzle pesto over salmon.
Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese and remaining pesto.
Serves 2.