The Ingredients
1 large head broccoli (400g)
200g cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons rapeseed oil (10g)
80g wholewheat penne pasta
1 tablespoon basil pesto (shop-bought – 15g)
2 tablespoons light cream cheese (30g)
2 x 120g cooked salmon fillets
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs (10g)
salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper
The Method
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cut the broccoli into small bite-sized florets – you’ll need 300g in total. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
STEP 2
Place the pasta in a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt (optional) and cook for 10-12 minutes until just tender. Add the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of cooking time and blanch until almost but not quite tender.
STEP 3
Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and reserve a cupful of the cooking liquid. Place the pasta and broccoli in a large bowl and fold in the pesto and cream cheese, adding two to three tablespoons of the cooking water to make a smooth light sauce that just binds everything together.
STEP 4
Flake the cooked salmon and add to the pasta mixture with the tomatoes. Put in a small baking dish and sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs on top, then drizzle over the rest of the oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy.
STEP 5
Cut the basil pesto salmon bake into portions and arrange on plates to serve.
