Tag Archive for: blood sugar friendly

Legume pasta with spirulina and red pesto

Legume pasta with spirulina and red pesto is a recipe that combines intense flavour and nutritional value in a surprisingly well-balanced way. The star of the dish is Spinosi’s egg-based legume flour pasta, an excellent choice for those who wish to bring to the table a complete, satisfying first course that also supports metabolic wellbeing.

Compared to traditional pasta, this legume-based pasta stands out for its nutritional profile: it provides 43 g of carbohydrates, 27 g of protein and 9.6 g of fibre per 100 g of dry product. Carbohydrate content is significantly lower, while protein and fibre levels are considerably higher than in durum wheat pasta. This translates into greater satiety and a slower absorption of carbohydrates—an especially valuable aspect for maintaining more stable blood glucose levels over time. The presence of egg in the dough also enhances the overall protein quality, making the dish nutritionally more complete.

What makes this recipe even more interesting is spirulina, a microalga known for its rich content of micronutrients and antioxidant compounds. It gives the pasta its deep green colour while adding further nutritional value.

The sauce, a red pesto made with sun-dried tomatoes, nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano, completes the dish with a combination of healthy fats, savoury notes and aromatic depth, transforming a simple recipe into a rich and satisfying experience.

Legume pasta with spirulina and red pesto    

19g CHO per 100g of cooked and dressed pasta

 Ingredients for 4 servings

  • 400g Legume pasta Spinosi with spirulina**
  • 100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil*
  • 40g Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 30g peeled almonds
  • 30g pine nuts
  • salted ricotta
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • basil
  • pepper

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

Preparation

  1. Drain the sun-dried tomatoes thoroughly from their oil. Place the pine nuts and almonds in a non-stick pan and toast them for about 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer the tomatoes, pine nuts, almonds and grated Parmigiano Reggiano into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a pinch of black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and a little water as needed to achieve a creamy pesto consistency.
  3. Transfer the pesto to a large frying pan, big enough to toss the pasta once cooked.
  4. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it al dente (reserving some of the cooking water), and add it to the pan with the pesto. Toss over a high heat for a couple of minutes, adding a little cooking water if needed, until the pasta is well coated.
  5. Serve hot with a grating of salted ricotta and a few fresh basil leaves.

ilaria-bertinelli-pasta-di-legumi-all-alga-spirulina

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Chickpea Farinata, delicious Italian flatbread

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Chickpea Farinata is one of those dishes that perfectly shows how simplicity can become smart cooking. Made with just a few ingredients, naturally gluten-free and budget-friendly, it features chickpea flour as the star of the recipe. As a legume, chickpeas are particularly valuable for blood sugar control and satiety, thanks to their content of fiber and plant-based proteins.

In this version, we turn it into an extra-indulgent dish by topping it with baby spinach, stracciatella cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. That said, Chickpea Farinata remains extremely versatile: it can also be enjoyed plain, as an alternative to bread, to accompany meals in a simple and mindful way. An essential preparation, with no complicated doughs, that brings a great traditional classic to the table in a healthy, inclusive, and satisfying way.

ilaria-bertinelli-farinata-farcita

Delicious Chickpea Farinata

15.8g carbohydrates per 100g Farinata without topping

Ingredients for one 32cm baking tray

  • 375g water
  • 100g chickpea flour*
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

Ingredients for topping 

  • baby spinach
  • stracciatella cheese
  • sundried tomatoes in oil*
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt

**Ingredients specific for celiacs

*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on  Prontuario AIC)

 Preparation

  1. Whisk the chickpea flour with the water, one tablespoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, mixing well to prevent lumps. Let the batter rest for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  2. Sauté the baby spinach in a non-stick pan with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then set aside.
  3. Using a sheet of kitchen paper or a brush, oil an aluminum baking tray of the appropriate size to achieve your desired thickness. I love a very thin chickpea flatbread, so I chose a 32 cm (12.5-inch) diameter tray.
  4. Bake in a preheated fan-assisted oven at 250°C (480°F) until golden and crispy.
  5. Cut the flatbread while still hot and top as desired with the sautéed spinach, a teaspoon of stracciatella, and a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes.
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