Even though I could offend Italian purists with another another ketofication, I couldn’t help myself. The original pesto recipe uses herbs, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan, making it quite keto-friendly and healthful in and of itself. However, all nuts (with the exception of macadamia nuts) are high in Omega 6 fats, which are known to cause inflammation if not sufficiently balanced by Omega 3 fatty acids.
The same is true for cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, which has a high Omega 6 content despite having an exceptional nutritional profile.
So, by altering the recipe a little (well, a lot), I was able to change the ratio of fatty acids and produce a delicious food that is ideal for keto.
Super Healthy Food with Super Healthy Ingredients.
Check out the delicious ingredients in my Low Carb Keto Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce.
pin nuts Low in Omega 3s, but kept in the recipe to maintain the flavor profile of classic pesto. Despite being highly pricey, Italian pine nuts are by far the greatest in the entire globe. Avoid Chinese exports; they are little, bitter, and unpleasant, which is why they are so inexpensive.
Walnuts
Walnuts. Despite having the largest concentration of harmful PUFAs, Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) make up a large portion of them, making them a good complement. But I must forewarn you: there are many inconsistencies when it comes to determining which meals are anti-inflammatory. My opinion I tend to favour whole, unprocessed meals that are naturally abundant in omega 3 EFAs. I strive to maintain an Omega 3 to Omega 6 EFA ratio of 1:1. However, I don’t go overboard with any one food.
Anyway. You should get shelled walnuts; they taste much better.
Heart-shaped hemp seeds. No husk to chip your teeth with, just really stunning. Lovely, delicate, and flavourless tiny creatures. Hemp seed hearts are extremely versatile and have excellent nutritional value. They have an almost ideal Omega 3:Omega 6 EFA ratio of 4:1.
In the recipe, parsley and basil are still present. extremely healthy and low in carbohydrates. Perfect. Parmesan is the same. Because Parmigiano Reggiano has a much stronger flavour, I use it. To prevent consuming counterfeit, manufactured garbage, make sure to get Italian, certified Parmesan.
linseed oil Omega 3s in plenty. Perfect to balance out Extra Virgin Olive Oil’s high Omega 6 level.
Black Bean Spaghetti Keto
Ingredients Â
- 30g heart of hemp (hulled)
- walnuts, 30g
- twenty pine nuts
- one little garlic clove (minced)
- 10 fresh leaves of parsley
- 10 fresh leaves of basil
- Parmesan cheese, 60g
- 120g cream cheese, full fat
- Extra virgin olive oil 20 grams (EVOO)
- 20 grams of flaxseed oil
- 25g of coarse Himalayan pink salt, 10g (2 tsp) MCT oil, a teaspoon of fine Himalayan pink salt, and a dash of freshly ground black pepper
- 120g pasta with black beans
InstructionsÂ
- 25g of coarse Himalayan pink salt and 1.3L of water should be added to a pot before it comes to a boil.
- In the meantime, prepare the pesto sauce by blending/grinding the hemp seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, and minced garlic into a powder.
- EVOO, flax seed oils, cleaned and dried basil and parsley leaves, and blend once more until smooth.
- Transfer the herbs and nuts mixture to a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the cream cheese, 4 tablespoons of water, 40 grammes of Parmesan, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Heat gently, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese has softened and the mixture is well combined. Do not boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Finally, stir in the MCT oil.
- Black bean spaghetti should be added to boiling salted water and cooked for 5 minutes.
- Spaghetti should be drained, then served right away with pesto sauce and the remaining Parmesan.
Notes
75g of fat, 12g of net carbs
49g of protein
