Farfalle with basil pesto, feta and organic sunflower seeds

I love toasted seeds, they add texture and flavour to dishes, they are such a simple addition that is often overlooked. Because we’re a nut free household ingredients such as pumpkin and sunflower seeds are a great substitute. 

For this easy recipe I’ve used organic sunflower seeds from Buy Whole Foods Online, these were gifted to me to create recipes just like these!

I’ve also made my own fresh pasta but you can just as easily use dried pasta, I recommend farfalle, often referred to as bows but it actually translates to butterfly. These are perfect for a pesto based sauce, but you could also make with penne or fusilli.

Farfalle with basil pesto, feta and organic sunflower seeds

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp Buy Whole Foods Online Organic Sunflower Seeds
• 1tsp of pesto (follow the recipe for my nut free pesto)
• 150 - 200g dried or fresh farfalle pasta
• 150g spinach
• 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 40g feta cheese
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, add the organic sunflower seeds to a small oven dish and drizzle in a little olive oil or olive oil spray. Cook for 15 minutes until lightly toasted.
2. If using dried pasta begin cooking this first and cook as per packet instructions.
3. While the pasta cooks add 1tbsp of olive oil to a pan on a low heat and add the tomatoes. Season with a little salt and cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally.
4. Add the garlic to the pan for one minute and stir.
5. Add the spinach to the pan and let it wilt. Stir all the ingredients together.
6. If using fresh farfalle cook this now for 2-3 minutes until al dente.
7. Add the pasta to the pan, along with a splash of pasta water and the pesto. Stir together.
8. Serve the pasta and top with the sunflower seeds and crumble the feta on top

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