Spinach, walnut and white bean pasta topped with vibrant cherry tomatoes

Spinach, walnut and white bean pasta topped with vibrant cherry tomatoes!

Whenever I make a pesto sauce, I always use up so much basil - does anyone else feel like they literally take every leaf off of the plant? I’ve swapped my basil for extra virgin olive oil with basil essence from Iliada in this recipe, and honestly, it’s perfect for it! It’s available on Amazon (along with many other flavours, incl. truffle olive oil!!) for £5 which is such a steal for the quality.

Ingredients (serves 2-4):
100ml Iliada basil olive oil (+ 2 drizzles)
1 cup baby spinach
1 handful walnuts
1 garlic clove
½ lemon, juice
1 pack of cherry tomatoes (15-20)
1 tin of butter beans
250-300g pasta (I chose spaghetti)
+ salt & pepper to taste

Simply add the spinach, walnut, garlic, lemon juice, Iliada basil olive oil (about 100ml) and a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste) into your chopper or food processor and whizz together until blitzed finely, but not smooth. Boil your pasta (according to the package) in salted water. In a frying pan on a medium heat, add 1 drizzle of olive oil, cherry tomatoes and your butter beans to heat up. Make sure to give the pan a shimmy every so often. Once your tomato skins are starting to tear (doesn’t take long), take off the heat. Drain your pasta when it’s ready and then stir in your spinach and walnut sauce. Serve with beans and cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of a few crushed walnuts and a drizzle of your basil olive oil. You can also opt to add some grilled chicken on top, too!

The Iliada olive oil, although fab in a sauce like this, or for sautéing veg, is also lovely just drizzled over a salad, and it’s packaged in a metal container that protects the olive oil from sunlight and UV radiation so you don’t have to worry!

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