You’ve probably seen vegetable-based noodles making the rounds – zucchini ribbons, spaghetti squash spaghetti and so on. These are certainly diet-friendly alternatives to what your mom used to make. But when it comes to sports fuel, nothing beats black bean noodles for their muscle-building protein, blood-healthy iron and belly-filling fiber. All for under 200 calories per serving? Mamma mia, that’s amore!
Spinach Pesto Black Bean Spaghetti
Serves 4
1 package black bean spaghetti noodles
4 cups spinach
1 cup walnuts
½ cup organic olive oil
4 oz. vegan mozzarella, cut into chunks
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
- In a food processor, blend spinach, walnuts, olive oil, salt and pepper until spinach and nuts are thoroughly chopped and combined. Presto pesto!
- Once noodles are cooked al dente and drained, put them back in the pot and stir in the spinach pesto. Note: the noodles will be sticky, so incorporating the pesto will take some elbow grease. I’m sure you can handle it.
- Gently mix in cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Salute!