Fusilli with spinach, mushrooms and goats’ cheese
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Toby Scott
Fusilli with spinach, mushrooms and goats’ cheese
Recipe by Annie Bell
Switching to wholewheat, chickpea or spelt pasta increases your wholegrain intake – great for preventing hypertension. Walnuts are beneficial, too
Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
635Kcal
Fat
33gr
Saturates
9gr
Carbs
56gr
Sugars
2gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
25gr
Salt
0.6gr
Annie Bell
Annie started her career as a chef, and is now an award-winning food writer who has written more than a dozen cookbooks. Her recipes are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
Annie Bell
Annie started her career as a chef, and is now an award-winning food writer who has written more than a dozen cookbooks. Her recipes are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp, plus 2 tsp, extra-virgin olive oil
- 25g walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1⁄4-1⁄2 tsp dried chilli flakes (to taste)
- 1 x 260g pack young spinach, washed
- a handful of coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- zest and juice of ½ lemon, plus an extra squeeze
- freshly grated nutmeg
- 150g dried fusilli, eg chickpea, green pea or spelt
- 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 15g finely grated Parmesan or vegetarian alternative
- 50g mild goats’ cheese, coarsely crumbled
Step by step
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan, add the walnuts and toast for 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Lift out with a draining spoon and set aside.
- Scatter the garlic and chilli flakes into the oil left in the pan and pile the spinach on top. Cover with a lid, pressing the spinach down if necessary. Cook over a gentle heat for 15-20 minutes until wilted, stirring towards the end. Whiz the contents of the pan, including the liquid, to a smooth purée in a blender, adding the parsley, remaining tablespoon of oil, and lemon zest and juice. Grate in some nutmeg to taste.
- Meanwhile bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions until just tender. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms and fry over a high heat until golden brown. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to season them. Stir in the spinach sauce to reheat.
- Drain the pasta into a colander, then return it to the pan. Add the spinach sauce and mushrooms to the pasta, with most of the Parmesan, and toss to coat.
- Divide between 2 shallow bowls, dot with the goats’ cheese and scatter with walnuts and the remaining Parmesan to serve.
