Thursday, May 24, 2012

Bunny Pasta! (Roasted Carrot and Tomato Fusili w/ Carrot Top Pesto)

I picked up a new pasta the other day: Eco Chefs Mung Bean Pasta. I'm usually not one to buy pasta, but the nutrition facts sold me in an instant. 24g of protein and 16g of fibre per serving?! Are you kidding me? Not only that, it has 35% of your daily intake of iron and the ingredients are super simple, "mung bean flour and water". This is, I'm sure a nutritionist's dream! but I'm just happy to have found a low carb pasta and for only 2.50 (1.25 per serving). :) The texture isn't as chewy and soft as regular pasta, and you're not going to get that pasta starchiness.

In my opinion, this is the best pasta option for those on low sugar, high protein diets that want a pasta shape in their meals every once in a while. I also plan on trying the Chickpea and Red Lentil varieties.



Nutritional Amazement!
Have you ever tried carrot tops? I always buy the carrots with the bright green tops, and then never know what to do with all the green goodness. Here is an easy carrot top roasted carrot/tomato pasta! When I told Jenn what I was doing with the carrot tops, she's like: that's what kind of pasta a bunny would eat! For some reason I found that funny...haha. Anyways...Bunny Pasta!:

CARROT TOP PESTO:

1 bunch of carrot tops (stalks removed)
1 clove garlic
3 generous tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 lemon, juice squeezed
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine carrot tops in a food processor, process until thoroughly chopped. Keep processing and add in olive oil gradually, then add rest of ingredients and process until a pesto is formed.




ROASTED CARROTS AND TOMATOES:

3 carrots, sliced into coins
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat. Lay carrots and tomatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until roasted.




Cook Mung Bean Pasta according to package instructions. Heat pesto in small pot on medium heat, add roasted veggies, cook for 1 minute, add pasta and toss to coat. Makes 2 servings.

Top with nutritional yeast!

Embarking on a low sugar diet? Check out our Inner Ecology E-book for sugar-free recipe ideas.

12 comments:

  1. Oh my! where did you find it? Is it available in Canada?

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    1. I found it in T.O. at Taste of Nature on Bloor and Spadina, they only have it in Ontario it seems: http://ecochefs.com/where-to-buy.php

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  2. SO cool about the pasta! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled. I love pasta and I'm always on the look out for new and interesting kinds to try. And those nutritional stats are awesome!

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  3. This actually looks really good. I love it that you found a use for something that I would ordinarily throw away. Where did you find the pasta? Aren't you guys in Canada? I wonder if they'd have it at Whole Foods?

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    1. Thanks! ;) Yes we are in Canada, I looked on the website, here are all the stores it's available at, I didn't see a Whole Foods though..http://ecochefs.com/where-to-buy.php

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  4. Did you put any basil in the pesto? if not, what made it green?

    Also, I've cooked mung bean fettucini pasta! It's so delicious! I found some at a health food store here in Flushing, Queens, NYC.

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    1. the carrot tops, the green leafy stuff at the tops of fresh carrots (not the bagged ones) are what make it green.

      Mmm! we are suckers for fettucini! I can imagine it going very well with this pasta too.

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  5. oh my gosh that looks amazing! and what interesting ingredients! thanks for sharing!

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  6. Tomatoes are very refreshing for summer. Looks really very delicious!

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  7. i've heard of mungbean pasta before. korean people use mung bean flour in baked goods a lot. :) love the roasted tomatoes and carrots on top of the pesto pasta!

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  8. this sounds wonderful!
    i love that you took the carrot tops for the pesto, very creative.

    I was waiting to thank you for the stevia give away until it arrived, but it never did. Just don't want you to think i am not appreciative. Sometimes the Canada/USA thing can take quite a while.

    lovely weekend to you~

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    1. oh why thank you!
      that's kind of odd how it hasn't arrived yet, I will follow up with Nunaturals to see what is going on on their end.

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