The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Chickpea & Fusilli Pasta Salad with Lemon Pesto Dressing & Pine Nuts
A flourishing summer garden on your dinner plate. Peppery rocket and grilled veg tossed with chunky chickpeas and juicy olives. Brown rice fusilli soaks up all the flavour. Don't forget the juicy tomatoes and the zippy dressing. Sit back, enjoy the salad - and the sunshine too!
1/3 daily fibre
4 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 40g rocket
- 2 tbsp green pesto (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 10g pine nuts
- 230g chickpeas (use half) (Chickpeas, water, salt)
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 30g Pitted Kalamata Olives (Kalamata Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 1 unwaxed lemon
- 110g baby tomatoes
- 120g brown rice fusilli pasta (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 1 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste (garlic puree, basil, rapeseed oil, parsley, sea salt, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 1 pepper
- 1 courgette
Nutritional Information
Calories: 642
Protein: 14g
Carbs: 60g
Fat: 34g
Ingredients
- 1 courgette (use half)
- 10g pine nuts (use half)
- 1 tbsp garlic, basil and parsley paste (use half) (garlic puree, basil, rapeseed oil, parsley, sea salt, acidity regulator: citric acid)
- 2 tbsp green pesto (use half) (Rapeseed Oil, Broccoli, Spinach, Broad Beans, Basil, Sunflower Seed, Garlic, Salt, Yeast extract powder (Yeast Extract, Salt), Pumpkin Seeds, Porcini Mushrooms, Kale, Golden Linseeds, Citric Acid, White Quinoa, Ascorbic Acid.)
- 1 unwaxed lemon (use half)
- 40g rocket (use half)
- 1 pepper (use half)
- 230g chickpeas (use a quarter) (Chickpeas, water, salt)
- 120g brown rice fusilli pasta (use half) (Soya) (Brown rice flour 100%)
- 30g Pitted Kalamata Olives (use half) (Kalamata Olives, Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Lactic Acid (E270))
- 110g baby tomatoes (use half)
- 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (use half)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 642
Protein: 14g
Carbs: 60g
Fat: 34g
Chickpea & Fusilli Pasta Salad with Lemon Pesto Dressing & Pine Nuts
A flourishing summer garden on your dinner plate. Peppery rocket and grilled veg tossed with chunky chickpeas and juicy olives. Brown rice fusilli soaks up all the flavour. Don't forget the juicy tomatoes and the zippy dressing. Sit back, enjoy the salad - and the sunshine too!
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Preheat the grill to high (240C)
- Line a baking tray with silver foil
- Bring a medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
- Pull out a small frying pan, a large bowl, a sieve & a grater
Get grilling
- Slice the courgette into 1cm thick half-moons. Thinly slice the pepper
- Place both onto the lined baking tray and toss with the garlic herb paste, 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Grill for 18-20 mins until soft and golden
Cook the pasta & macerate the tomatoes
- Add the fusilli to the saucepan and boil for 10-11 mins, until cooked, then drain and stir through 1/2 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking
- Halve the tomatoes. Zest half the lemon, then halve
- To the large bowl, add the tomatoes, the juice from half the lemon, 1 tbsp olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside
Prep the rest
- Thinly slice the olives. Finely chop the parsley. Drain and rinse the half pack of chickpeas
- Heat the small frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and toast for 2-3 mins, tossing regularly, until golden brown. Remove and set aside
Build the salad
- When the veg has 5 mins remaining, add the chickpeas to the veg tray and toss together with a pinch of lemon zest, 1/2 tsp oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill for the remaining time, until the chickpeas are warmed through
- Add the pesto to the tomato bowl, along with the olives, half the parsley, the cooked pasta and the grilled veg and chickpeas. Toss to combine and season to taste
Plate up
- When ready to serve, toss the rocket and 1 tsp olive oil through the salad and share between plates. Top with the pine nuts and remaining parsley. Serve with the remaining lemon, cut into wedges
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