Vegetable Pasta with Carrot Leaf Pesto
A recipe by Bela Gil, Brazil
About Chef Bela Gil
Bela Gil was still a teenager when she began to take an interest in the physical and mental benefits of healthy eating. The need to cook her own food to maintain a healthy life made her decide to deepen her knowledge of cooking and nutrition. Bela believes that eating is an act of compassion for ourselves and for the planet.
Bela has hosted her own cooking show, “Bela Cozinha”, released several popular cookbooks, and hosted the radio program “Bela Infância”, at Rádio Globo, where she gave practical tips on natural food for parents and children. Nowadays, outside the “Bela Cozinha” program, Bela gives lectures, cooking classes and writes columns. The chef also has a Youtube channel, “Canal da Bela”, where she discusses issues such as maternity and food questions, all without ever ceasing to prioritize health, taste, and the environment in any of the works.
Bela has been married to producer João Paulo Demasi for 15 years, and is the mother of Flor, 9 years, and Nino, 1 year and 8 months. Bela is proud of the fact that the family enjoys natural food.
What inspires you to eat less meat?
I believe we can change the world through food. Eating is a political act, and so we must understand well what and why we eat, and also its impacts on society. Food can bring us health or illness, corrupt or sustain our beliefs, and injure or preserve nature. The industrial system of meat production is unsustainable, unethical and violent. No animal should live in the conditions that the pigs, fish, oxen, cows, chickens, and so many other animals live in, in captivity, to become meat for human consumption. It is for this reason that I am inspired to cook plant-based foods and why I decided to share this courgette and carrot-based pasta with a delicious pesto that appeals to children and adults.
Vegetable Pasta with carrot leaf pesto
Serves 4
Preparation & cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
Carrot leaf pesto:
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups basil
2 cups carrot leaves
1 clove of garlic
100g pumpkin seeds
Sea salt to taste
Vegetables:
3 courgettes
2 carrots
1 clove of garlic
1/4 of an onion, diced
3 tbsp of olive oil
Method
Pesto:
1. In a processor, place the olive oil, basil leaves and carrot leaves, garlic clove, and last the pumpkin seeds.
2. Process until it becomes a thick pesto
3. Add the sea salt and set aside.
Pasta
1. With the help of a vegetable slicer, make the noodles with carrot and
courgette, keep them separated
2. In a frying pan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion. Stir in the carrot
noodles. Bring to a boil, put the zucchini noodles, sprinkle some salt and
cover for about 3 minutes
3. Remove the lid and saute the pasta with the carrot leaf pesto
4. Add the sea salt and serve.
For more about Chef Bela Gil, follow and connect with her on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/belagil/
