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Protein-Packed Pea and Mint Pasta | Nutrition Stripped
Eat Well Jul. 10. 2018
Recipes

Protein-Packed Pea and Mint Pasta

Jul. 10. 2018
Recipes
McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN

Founder of Nutrition Stripped® and the Mindful Nutrition Method™

If you’re looking for a protein-packed pasta dish that tastes light, bright, and summery, then this Protein-Packed Pea and Mint Pasta is your jam!

This recipe is inspired by the pea pesto recipe from the Nutrition Stripped Cookbook, yet instead of pizza, we made a pasta! Peas are slightly sweet and always taste delicious with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and fresh mint. So why not put them all together on pasta and call it a day? This meal can be made in 15 minutes for dinner, lunch, or a great entree to share with friends over for dinner — just serve it with a big green salad (hey, massaged kale salad) and you’re good to go!

Can Pasta Dishes Be A Good Source Of Protein?

Yes, especially when the pasta you’re using is made from a plant-based protein like chickpeas! It’s been years of searching for the best gluten-free pasta and I think I found it. I’ve tried ones from Whole Foods, Trader Joes, mostly made from brown rice or quinoa but none of them held up as leftovers, or they got super soggy during the cooking process, except chickpea pasta.

I’ve had the most luck when using pasta made from lentils and chickpeas and the brand I use in this recipe is Banza, one of my favorites which serves up 20 grams of protein per serving. In addition to starting with a protein-packed pasta, we’re also using nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, and sunflower seeds to give this an extra boost of protein, minerals, and vitamins. Win, win, win.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Mint?

So fresh, so clean. There’s nothing like mint to remind you of summer and warm weather. It pairs wonderfully with just about any kind of dish, from a morning smoothie to a tasty dip. And when it comes to nutrition, the versatile herb has been shown to help promote brain function and mood.

Think of what automatically happens when you pop a peppermint or breathe in a mint essential oil, you immediately feel more awake, energized and alert. Studies have also shown that peppermint can help relieve digestive issues, such as an upset stomach, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Mint has an array of antioxidants and phytonutrients that can help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.

You can add mint as a garnish in cocktails, in fruit salads to tame the sweetness and in chilled soups and gazpacho to enhance the coolness. Just be sure you start slow when adding mint to any recipe because it can easily overpower other flavors but plays really nicely with fresh lemon juice.

Stripped

Magnesium

Chickpeas are an amazing source of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. Beans are considered to be a starchy protein to be used similarly to lentils. Magnesium is another key player in beans, which is an important mineral in our body and plays a key role in 300 cellular functions in the body including muscle function, protein synthesis, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation.

It’s also been shown to help decrease PMS, headaches (such as migraines), and can be used to help relax digestive muscles which can reduce constipation.

B Vitamins

Nutritional yeast is a staple food in plant-based diets due to its cheesy flavor, versatility, high amounts of B vitamins, and protein content. Nutritional yeast contains no dairy or active yeast, and it’s found in a powder/flake form that creates a paste when mixed with liquid, i.e. it’s great for making dairy-free sauces, dressings, and more.

In addition to containing 200%, DV of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12 nutritional yeast also contains about 10 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons serving depending on the brand.

Peas

Just 1 cup of peas contains about 4 grams of fiber, which is pretty good for just a side dish and in the grand scheme of your day, it’s about 8% of your daily needs of fiber (based on 35g / day which is “standard”, some folks need more, some need less).

Peas are loaded with vitamin K, B vitamins, minerals and plant-based protein, so much quality protein that plant-based protein powder companies have more recently started incorporating peas into their powder mixes.

Most of the NS approved brands of plant-based protein powders incorporate pea protein mixed with others such as brown rice and hemp. Just 1 cup of peas yields a whopping 8g of protein, that’s awesome in my book especially for one of the most underused vegetable protein sources out there.

The Recipe

Serves 6

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Ingredients

16 ounces (1 box) of pasta (I used Banza gluten-free chickpea pasta — use whatever you enjoy)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup fresh (or frozen) peas

1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 tablespoon pine nuts (or sunflower seeds)

1/2 tablespoon lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

Ground black pepper

Sea salt

Optional garnish: a dollop of KiteHill cream cheese, sour cream, or plain coconut kefir and fresh black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Cook the pasta according to the box instructions for al dente — basically minus 2 minutes from the package instructions. Be sure to salt the water when boiling pasta with about 1 teaspoon sea salt.

In the meantime, in a large deep skillet on medium heat, saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the peas, if using fresh peas cook until tender or if using frozen peas cook until soft and warmed through.

Step 2

Now that the pasta has cooked, strain well and pour the pasta into the large skillet, stirring in the remaining ingredients: fresh mint, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and adjust to taste.

Step 3

Toss the pasta until everything is evenly coating, adjust sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Serve with a dollop of KiteHill cream cheese, sour cream, or plain coconut kefir and fresh black pepper.

Have Leftovers? Here’s What To Do With Them:

As always, store in an airtight glass container that we recommend from the NS Shop for up to 5 days. To reheat, do so gently in a skillet and you may need to add a splash of water (about a tablespoon) or olive oil to loosen the sauce up. Enjoy for a quick dinner or lunch on the go.

Can’t wait to see you try it!

Did you know that you can submit your own photo of whatever recipe you make from NS? Scroll down to the bottom right and you’ll see a section for you to show off your creations from home!

Can’t wait to see how you make these and share your meal with me! Tag us on Instagram @nutritionstripped #nutritionstripped

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