Spelt Spirals with Hazelnut Pesto, Roasted Sweet Potato and Nutritional Yeast

In this easy 30-minute dinner recipe, wholegrain spelt pasta spirals are tossed in a rich pesto made with toasted hazelnuts, nutritional yeast and a mix of fresh herbs together with roasted sweet potatoes. Enjoy it on its own or with a green salad or serve alongside grilled chicken or fish for a more substantial meal.

	Hazelnut Pesto
600 g Sweet potatoes 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 120-150 g Organic wholegrain spelt spirals Nutrional yeast, to serve Crushed toasted hazelnuts, to serve	50 g Hazelnuts, lightly toasted and skinned 2 Garlic cloves Zest and juice of 1 lemon 120 ml Extra virgin olive oil 30 ml Hazelnut oil 30 g Fresh herbs (I used a mix of arugula, parsley and basil) 2 tbsp Nutritional yeast, unfortified (or 50 g Parmesan) Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the hazelnuts to a kitchen towel and rub together to remove the skins.
In a food processor blend together pesto ingredients with pepper and salt to taste until smooth. This recipe makes more pesto than you’ll need. Keep the excess covered in a layer of olive oil in a jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Increase the oven temperature to 200C/400F. Use a vegetable peeler to peel sweet potatoes. Dice the flesh into 1-inch pieces and toss with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread pieces into an even layer, and roast, stirring sweet potato pieces once or twice, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spelt spirals in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente, about 7-8 minutes or according to the packet instructions.
Drain pasta, return to pan and toss with a few tablespoons of the pesto and the roasted sweet potatoes. Serve with extra nutrional yeast and crushed roasted hazelnuts over.