The silly season is almost upon us. With all of the Christmas parties and celebrations, our waistline is often left feeling venerable. So why not challenge those unwelcome post Christmas kilo’s and include a healthy recipe in your Christmas party menu?
Try our low GI meal- Turkey Pasta Salad with Ricotta
Ingredients (serves 4)
300g dried wholemeal penne pasta
200g green beans, trimmed, cut into 3cm lengths
1/2 cup no-added-fat semi-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
150g sliced smoked turkey, chopped
Small fresh basil leaves, to serve
Ricotta pesto
1/2 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method
Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, adding beans for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Refresh under cold water.
Make pesto by combining ricotta, basil, chives, lemon rind, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water until mixture is slightly thinner, adding more water if necessary.
Add ricotta pesto to pasta and beans. Add tomato and turkey. Toss to combine. Season with pepper. Serve with basil.