Before I share with you another one of our favourite mid-week dinners, our speedy Gluten-free Vegan Pesto Pasta, let me tell you about an amazing meal I was invited to last week.
Sacla has been my go-to brand for pesto for over a decade, so when they asked me whether I wanted to join them for dinner in Covent Garden, I jumped at the chance to have a nice Italian meal and learn more about my secret weapon, that cupboard essential that saves our mid-week dinners!
What I didn’t realise was how special an evening the lovely people at Sacla’ had put together for us all. As soon as I walked up the stairs at Café Murano, Michelin starred chef Angela Hartnett’s restaurant, I knew I was in for a good night. There were friendly faces everywhere and conversation was flowing as we were enjoying drinks and canapés (mushroom arancini and bruschetta were my favourites).
Before we travelled through Italy with a sumptuous 4-course meal, Clare Blampied, Managing Director at Sacla UK, told us about the brands she represents so passionately, and officially launched Sacla’s #kidslovepesto campaign.
It all started over 75 years ago in Northern Italy, with Second and Piera Ercole. They were determined to share their local vegetables, fruits and herbs with the world. Initially, they focused on vegetable canning and their business gradually evolved and led to the pasta sauce empire we now know and love. The range of Sacla’ products currently includes: Organic Basil Pesto, Artichokes in Lemon & Rosemary Oil, Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, Black Truffle Pesto, Free From Basil Pesto, Fiery Chilli Pesto, Free From Bolognese sauce and many more. Sacla really have something for everyone, no matter their dietary requirements or individual tastes!
Sacla’ has teamed up with celebrity chef Rachel Allen for their ‘Kids Love Pesto’ campaign, which is all about helping families create quick, healthy and tasty dishes that kids will actually eat! Clean plates = happy parents! La Famiglia, Sacla’s new recipe book, is full of delicious dishes that everyone in the family will love and most are ready to serve in just ten minutes!
To celebrate the launch of #kidslovepesto, we really dined in style and had Mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto followed by trofie pasta & Sacla’ Chilli Pesto, whole sea bream, peperonata and Spring greens. Dessert was the most decadent treat I have had in a long time: muscovado tart and raspberries.
Just to add our own little touch to the #kidslovepesto campaign, Crevette is sharing with you one of our favourite mid-week recipes, aka. our speedy gluten-free vegan pesto pasta.
It is creamy, delicious and allergy-friendly. It can also be whipped up in minutes by children!
It is ready in just fifteen minutes and every single time we make this dish, we have clean plates all round!
Speedy Gluten-free Vegan Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 500 g gluten free fusilli we use Barilla
- A glug of olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 250 g tenderstem broccoli steamed for 3 min and dropped in ice cold water
- 200 g closed cup mushrooms sliced
- A jar of ‘free from’ sacla basil pesto 190g
- 125 ml dairy free cream we use Oatly organic
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to packet instructions.
- In the meantime, prep the vegetables, steam the broccoli and warm a large pan over a medium heat. Add in the oil. When it is warm, plop in the chopped onion and soften for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add in the minced garlic and keep stirring for another minute.
- Add in the pesto and the cream and leave to thicken for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add in the mushrooms and the broccoli.
- Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce. Serve straight away and garnish with basil.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but all opinions and photos are my own.
I love, love, LOVE pesto and I’m over the moon that Sacla have made a dairy free version now, it’s made meal times a lot easier for me now, I don’t have to cook my meals separately anymore. This recipe is so simple but looks utterly delicious and I love long stem broccoli…isn’t it a bit weird that I prefer the stalks?!
I prefer the stalks too hahaha!
Pasta is love to eat. Eating it in healthy is plus point for pasta lovers like me. Great recipe. Thankyou
My pleasure! We love pasta in this house too 🙂
I LOVE Pesto. I have it on everything from paninis to pasta! Will be sure to check this book out!
Me too! Pesto is so good!
Looks absolutely awesome, Mel! Your sous chef is becoming rather handy in the kitchen 😉 It was a gorgeous event wasn’t it x
It was such a good night! Loved every minute 🙂 My little man is going to be cooking all on his own soon I reckon!
You can’t beat a good pesto and pasta, this reminds me that I need to make something to take for lunch at work tomorrow x
It’s so simple yet so good! I love it 🙂
I love pesto but to be honest hadn’t thought to try my daughter with it. Your recipe sounds delicious and I think she would be happy to try it, I love the bright colours from the fresh ingredients
My four have always loved pesto. It’s one of those meals they were always happy to eat 🙂
Oo now this looks seriously appetising! It’s fantastic that they now cater for vegans and gluten-free diets 🙂
I love it when a big company cater for allergies and intolerances 🙂
How kind of them to invite you to a delicious event where you got to learn more about pesto, I really like the sound of the chili pesto that is definitely one that I would like to try. And I agree that it is a perfect meal to cook with kids as its so simple to make!
The chili pesto is fiery but I absolutely loved it when I tried it at Café Murano.
I do love pesto sauce. I think it is great to have many creative and innovative food options to choose from
I had no idea they had such a wide range!
I love pesto, it’s such a tasty and easy way to make dinner! Love the sound of your recipe too, I’m dairy free and we use the Oatly cream in quite a lot of things – I think it’s brilliant.
Love Oatly!
This looks amazing! We buy that pesto as my partner can’t have gluten or dairy. I’m going to try and recreate this dish for him!
Ooooh, let me know how it goes sweetie xxx
I am a massive fan of pesto, so you had me right from the start. Nice to make fresh, but the jar stuff is great after a busy day x
I do love fresh pesto too!
It’s so nice to have the kids help out in the kitchen! The skill they learn there are something they can use when they live on their own. This recipe looks so good, I have a weakness for pesto!
I really think it’s a life skill they’ve got to learn as soon as they can walk. If they can cook by the time they leave home, they’ll set for life!
I am a huge Pesto fan so I definitely need to try this recipe!
Let me know what you think if you do 🙂
Pest pasta is one of our favourite dishes too. I love homemade fresh pesto, but my kids prefer the one out the jar – harsh.
I love fresh pesto too! I make mine with pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts 🙂
Pesto is my favorite + wine. My Amore sometimes felt annoyed I did have dinner pesto for 3 straight nights, but who cares, I love it!
I love it with a glass of white wine too!
Oh what a wonderful cookbook to encourage kids and families to cook together. This pesto pasta looks amazing!
Thanks Jennifer!
I’ve never made pesto. I thought it would be too hard, but this looks like it would be totally do-able for me!
We are definitely trying out this recipe! BTW you have amazing pictures
Thanks a lot! That means a lot 🙂 I always work hard to try and improve my photos.
Wow, this is a great recipe and so easy to make. I would definitely give it a try myself. Thanks for sharing 🙂
That sounds like such a lovely evening! I really enjoy eating out but also like to cook at home and I have to say that pesto is always one of my ‘go to’ quick and easy favourites.
One hell of an invite this was! And you celebrated it just right; I mean, that pasta looks so inviting; glad it cooks over less time since I wouldn’t want to wait before I take it down! Haha!
It was an incredible night!
I love pesto and I’m trying to cut down on dairy due to IBS. I’m looking forward to trying the dairy free version.
This is awesome that your kid is taking so much interest in making food. The great thing is he loves healthy food. Its too hard to make a healthy+yummy recipes for kids. Your blog is simply too good to browse about such recipes!!!
This is really awesome that your kid is having intetest into making food. Its too hard to make a habit of healthy food to kids. The book look so great to follow. Your blog is simply too good to browse some more healthy recipes!!!
Oh thank you so much, your comment means so much!!!
First off hooray for kids in the kitchen that just melts my heart. I always have my kids in the kitchen with me as well. Second WOW that food looks absolutely delicious. Teaching our children to cook healthy is so important it is a skill that will remain with them for life. Thanks so much for sharing my family are huge pasta fans I’ll be pinning this to try later.
Thanks for your comment. Let me know what you think if you try it Danielle 🙂
This sounds epic – thank you for sharing!
My pleasure!